Little Gabbro Lake vs Wilson Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Wilson Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Little Gabbro Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Both Little Gabbro Lake and Wilson Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Wilson Lake grades a A while Little Gabbro Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Wilson Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Little Gabbro Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft.
Wilson Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little Gabbro Lake | Wilson Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.5 ft | 10.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 154 acres | 650 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Wilson Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Little Gabbro Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 10.3 ft vs 6.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Wilson Lake also leads with 1 species.