French Lake vs Wells Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
French Lake and Wells Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Both are in Rice County, Minnesota.
French Lake and Wells 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — French Lake (F) versus Wells 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.
French Lake
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility.
Wells Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | French Lake | Wells Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 1.7 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 134 µg/L | 211 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 56 ft | 4 ft |
| Surface Area | 875.81 acres | 677.46 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 16 | 15 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (French Lake: 1.7 ft, Wells Lake: 2 ft) and what you want from the lake. French Lake supports more documented fish species.