Frances Lake vs Upper Sakatah Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Frances Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Upper Sakatah Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Both Frances Lake and Upper Sakatah 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. Frances Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Upper Sakatah Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Frances 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?
Frances Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Upper Sakatah Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Frances Lake | Upper Sakatah Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 25 µg/L | 406 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 12 ft |
| Surface Area | 927.01 acres | 892.01 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
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 C versus Upper Sakatah Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Frances Lake also leads with 1 species.