Cass Lake Allens Bay vs Little Wolf Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cass Lake Allens Bay has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Little Wolf Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Cass Lake Allens Bay and Little Wolf 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. Cass Lake Allens Bay (A) is materially cleaner than Little Wolf Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Cass Lake Allens Bay 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?
Cass Lake Allens Bay
Crystal clear, you can see 16.6 ft down.
Little Wolf Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cass Lake Allens Bay | Little Wolf Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 16.6 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 18.5 µg/L | 26.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.7 µg/L | 12.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 120 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 15,958 acres | 525 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 13 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Cass Lake Allens Bay wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Little Wolf Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 16.6 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Cass Lake Allens Bay also leads with 21 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.