Island Lake vs Lower Bottle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Bottle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Island Lake (A, Excellent). Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Island Lake and Lower Bottle Lake are both in Minnesota — 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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Island Lake (A) versus Lower Bottle 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
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Lower Bottle Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Island Lake | Lower Bottle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 10.5 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17 µg/L | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft | 110 ft |
| Surface Area | 541.25 acres | 641.17 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Bottle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Island Lake's Grade A. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 10.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Bottle Lake also leads with 1 species.