Frances Lake vs Jefferson Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Frances Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Jefferson Lake. Both are in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Both Frances Lake and Jefferson Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Frances Lake and Jefferson Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
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.
Frances Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Jefferson Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Frances Lake | Jefferson Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6 ft Better | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L Better | 86.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20.6 µg/L Better | 72 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | - |
| Surface Area | 927 acres | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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.
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Verdict
Frances Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Jefferson Lake. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Frances Lake also leads with 16 species.
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Where to stay near Frances Lake and Jefferson Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Frances Lake and Jefferson Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.