Crane Lake vs Mukooda Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mukooda Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Crane Lake (D, Poor). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Crane Lake and Mukooda Lake are both in Minnesota — 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. Mukooda Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Crane 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 — Mukooda 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?
Crane Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Mukooda Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.6 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Crane Lake | Mukooda Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.6 ft | 16.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 17 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft | 78 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.9K acres | 773.76 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mukooda Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Crane Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16.6 ft vs 6.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Mukooda Lake also leads with 1 species.