Clam River Flowage Lake vs Minerva Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minerva Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Clam River Flowage Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Clam River Flowage Lake and Minerva Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: Minerva Lake grades a A while Clam River Flowage Lake grades a F. 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 — 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 River Flowage Lake
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
Minerva Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clam River Flowage Lake | Minerva Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 2.2 ft | 10.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 16.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 360 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 River Flowage Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 10.5 ft vs 2.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Minerva Lake also leads with 0 species.