Frances Lake vs Upper Sakatah Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Frances Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Frances Lake (D) versus Upper Sakatah Lake (F). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Upper Sakatah Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Frances Lake | Upper Sakatah Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | 303 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20.6 µg/L | 76.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 12 ft |
| Surface Area | 927 acres | 892 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 14 |
| 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 D versus Upper Sakatah Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Frances Lake also leads with 16 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.