Island 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 Island Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
C
Island Lake
Mahnomen County, Minnesota
Murky, only visible to about 6.4 ft.
B
Sand Hill Lake
Polk County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Island Lake | Sand Hill Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 6.4 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 43 ft | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 616.07 acres | 479.19 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 11 | 6 |
| 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 Island Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 6.9 ft vs 6.4 ft. For more fish-species variety, Island Lake edges ahead with 11 documented species.