Lake Winnibigoshish vs Portage Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Winnibigoshish and Portage Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Cass County, Minnesota.
Both Lake Winnibigoshish and Portage Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Lake Winnibigoshish versus Portage Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Lake Winnibigoshish
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Portage Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Winnibigoshish | Portage Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 12.1 ft Better | 7.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 29 µg/L | 22 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L Better | 7.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 69.8 ft Better | 55 ft |
| Surface Area | 56,471 acres | 1,539 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 Better | 15 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Lake Winnibigoshish or Portage Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lake Winnibigoshish: 12.1 ft, Portage Lake: 7.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lake Winnibigoshish supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.