Ham Lake vs Insula Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Insula Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Ham Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Ham Lake and Insula 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 — Ham Lake (D) versus Insula Lake (C). 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.
Ham Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Insula Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ham Lake | Insula Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 53 ft | 63 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres | 2.8K acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Insula Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Ham Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, Insula Lake also leads with 0 species.