Deer Lake vs Shallow Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Shallow Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Deer Lake (B, Good). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
B
Deer Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
A
Shallow Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Deer Lake | Shallow Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8.5 ft | 16.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L | 9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft | 85 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.9K acres | 538.95 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 12 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Shallow Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Deer Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 8.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Deer Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.