Clam Lake vs Minerva Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minerva Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Clam Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Both Clam Lake and Minerva Lake sit in Wisconsin. 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. Minerva Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Clam Lake (D). 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 — Minerva 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?
Clam Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Minerva Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clam Lake | Minerva Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 10.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 66 µg/L | 16.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres | 245 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Minerva Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Clam Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 10.5 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Minerva Lake also leads with 0 species.