Clear Lake vs Upper Sakatah Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clear Lake and Upper Sakatah Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
F
Clear Lake
Waseca County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
F
Upper Sakatah Lake
Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clear Lake | Upper Sakatah Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 151 µg/L | 406 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft | 12 ft |
| Surface Area | 648.77 acres | 892.01 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 12 | 14 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clear Lake: 2.5 ft, Upper Sakatah Lake: 3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clear Lake has fewer fish species than Upper Sakatah Lake.