Francis Lake vs West Sylvia Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
West Sylvia Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Francis Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Francis Lake and West Sylvia Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. West Sylvia Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Francis Lake (C). 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 — West Sylvia 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?
Francis Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
West Sylvia Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 22 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Francis Lake | West Sylvia Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 22 ft |
| Phosphorus | 25 µg/L | 8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 17 ft | 97 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.1K acres | 904.39 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
West Sylvia Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Francis Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 22 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, West Sylvia Lake also leads with 1 species.