Hill River Lake vs Sand Hill Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sand Hill Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Hill River Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Polk County, Minnesota.
Both Hill River Lake and Sand Hill 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: Sand Hill Lake grades a B while Hill River Lake grades a D. 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 — Sand Hill 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?
Hill River Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Sand Hill Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hill River Lake | Sand Hill Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4.6 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 95 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 88 acres | 510 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Sand Hill Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Hill River Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.9 ft vs 4.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Sand Hill Lake also leads with 1 species.