Howard Lake vs Upper Maple Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Maple Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Howard Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
C
Howard Lake
Wright County, Minnesota
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
A
Upper Maple Lake
Wright County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Howard Lake | Upper Maple Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | 54 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft | 76 ft |
| Surface Area | 745 acres | 632.6 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 15 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper Maple Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Howard Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 4 ft. For more fish-species variety, Howard Lake edges ahead with 16 documented species.