Frances Lake vs Jefferson Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Frances Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Jefferson Lake (F, Very Poor). 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 grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are close: Frances Lake (D) and Jefferson Lake (F) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | 86.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20.6 µg/L | 72 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | - |
| Surface Area | 927 acres | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Frances Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Jefferson Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Frances Lake also leads with 16 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.