Iron Lake vs Ottawa Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Iron Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Ottawa Lake. Both are in Iron County, Michigan.
Iron Lake and Ottawa Lake are both in Michigan — 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Iron Lake versus Ottawa Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Iron Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Ottawa Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19.3 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Iron Lake | Ottawa Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9 ft | 19.3 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L Better | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.6 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 45 ft | - |
| Surface Area | 390 acres | 531 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Iron Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Ottawa Lake. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 19.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Iron Lake also leads with 0 species.
Stays via Stay22
Where to stay near Iron Lake and Ottawa Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Iron Lake and Ottawa Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Iron Lake and Ottawa Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.