Hagerman Lake vs Ottawa Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Hagerman Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Ottawa Lake. Both are in Iron County, Michigan.
Hagerman Lake and Ottawa Lake are both in Michigan — 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Hagerman Lake versus Ottawa Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Ottawa Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19.3 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hagerman Lake | Ottawa Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 21 ft Better | 19.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 µg/L Better | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft | - |
| Surface Area | 565 acres | 531 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
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
Hagerman Lake and Ottawa Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Hagerman Lake: 21 ft, Ottawa Lake: 19.3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Hagerman Lake matches its peer on species count.
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Where to stay near Hagerman Lake and Ottawa Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Hagerman Lake and Ottawa 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Hagerman Lake and Ottawa Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.