Jay Gould Lake vs Shoal Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Jay Gould Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Shoal Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Jay Gould Lake and Shoal 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 — Jay Gould Lake (B) versus Shoal Lake (C). 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.
Jay Gould Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Shoal Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Jay Gould Lake | Shoal Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 13 ft | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 33 ft | 7 ft |
| Surface Area | 551.74 acres | 675.85 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Jay Gould Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Shoal Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 8 ft. For fishing diversity, Jay Gould Lake also leads with 1 species.