Island Lake vs Shell Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Island Lake and Shell Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Both Island Lake and Shell 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Island Lake (A) versus Shell Lake (A). 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.
Island Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Shell Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Island Lake | Shell Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 15 ft | 7.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | 21 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | 5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 38 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,179 acres | 3,147 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 14 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Island Lake: 15 ft, Shell Lake: 7.3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Island Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.