Fish Hook Lake vs Potato Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Fish Hook Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Potato Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Both Fish Hook Lake and Potato Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Fish Hook Lake grades a A while Potato Lake grades a C. 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 — Fish Hook 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?
Fish Hook Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Potato Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Fish Hook Lake | Potato Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 10 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 76 ft | 76 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.6K acres | 1.6K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Fish Hook Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Potato Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Fish Hook Lake also leads with 1 species.