Ely Lake vs Esquagama Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ely Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Esquagama Lake (D, Poor). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Ely Lake and Esquagama 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Ely Lake grades a A while Esquagama Lake grades a D. 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 — Ely 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?
Ely Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down.
Esquagama Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ely Lake | Esquagama Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 16 ft | 3.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 780 acres | 453 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Ely Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Esquagama Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16 ft vs 3.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Ely Lake also leads with 1 species.