Height of Land Lake vs Island Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Island Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Height of Land Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Both Height of Land Lake and Island Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Island Lake grades a A while Height of Land Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Island Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Height of Land Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Island Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Height of Land Lake | Island Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.6 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | 19 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.6 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 21 ft | 38 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,795 acres | 1,179 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 15 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Island Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Height of Land Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 6.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Island Lake also leads with 15 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.