Little Cut Foot Lake vs Little Winnibigoshish Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Little Winnibigoshish Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Little Cut Foot Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Little Cut Foot Lake and Little Winnibigoshish 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. The grades are close: Little Cut Foot Lake (D) and Little Winnibigoshish Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Little Cut Foot Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Little Winnibigoshish Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little Cut Foot Lake | Little Winnibigoshish Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6.6 ft | 8.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 42 µg/L | 32 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 10.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft | 28 ft |
| Surface Area | 619 acres | 1,002 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 16 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Little Winnibigoshish Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Little Cut Foot Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8.4 ft vs 6.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Little Winnibigoshish Lake also leads with 16 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.