Fish Hook Lake vs Potato Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Fish Hook Lake and Potato Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Fish Hook Lake and Potato 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. These two sit close on the readings, Fish Hook Lake versus Potato Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Fish Hook Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft.
Potato Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Fish Hook Lake | Potato Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10.2 ft | 11.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | 11 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.5 µg/L | 3.9 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 76 ft | 87 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,643 acres | 2,096 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Fish Hook Lake or Potato Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Fish Hook Lake: 10.2 ft, Potato Lake: 11.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Fish Hook Lake has fewer fish species than Potato Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.