Camp Lake vs Lower Hay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Hay Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Camp Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both Camp Lake and Lower Hay Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lower Hay Lake grades a A while Camp Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lower Hay Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Camp Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.6 ft.
Lower Hay Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Camp Lake | Lower Hay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8.6 ft | 19 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 100 ft |
| Surface Area | 533.59 acres | 700.21 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Hay Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Camp Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 19 ft vs 8.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Hay Lake also leads with 1 species.