Hanging Kettle Lake vs Waukenabo Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Waukenabo Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Hanging Kettle Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Hanging Kettle Lake and Waukenabo 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 — Hanging Kettle Lake (D) versus Waukenabo 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.
Hanging Kettle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.3 ft.
Waukenabo Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hanging Kettle Lake | Waukenabo Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6.3 ft | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 320 acres | 650 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Waukenabo Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Hanging Kettle Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8 ft vs 6.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Waukenabo Lake also leads with 1 species.