Johnson Lake vs Shallow Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Johnson Lake and Shallow Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
A
Johnson Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 15.7 ft down.
A
Shallow Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Johnson Lake | Shallow Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 15.7 ft | 16.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 88 ft | 85 ft |
| Surface Area | 434.03 acres | 538.95 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 11 | 12 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
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 (Johnson Lake: 15.7 ft, Shallow Lake: 16.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Johnson Lake has fewer fish species than Shallow Lake.