Frances Lake vs Washington Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Frances Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Washington Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Both Frances Lake and Washington 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: Frances Lake grades a C while Washington Lake grades a F. 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 — 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.
Washington Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Frances Lake | Washington Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 4.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 25 µg/L | 121 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 48.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 51 ft |
| Surface Area | 927.01 acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| 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 C versus Washington Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Frances Lake also leads with 1 species.