Hagerman Lake vs Iron Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Hagerman Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Iron Lake. Both are in Iron County, Michigan.
Both Hagerman Lake and Iron Lake sit in Michigan. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Hagerman Lake and Iron Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings 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.
Hagerman Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down.
Iron Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hagerman Lake | Iron Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 21 ft Better | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 µg/L Better | 9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 2.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft Better | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 565 acres | 390 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Iron Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Hagerman Lake. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 21 ft. For fishing diversity, Iron Lake also leads with 0 species.
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Where to stay near Hagerman Lake and Iron Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Hagerman Lake and Iron Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.