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LakeQuality

Little Winnibigoshish Lake vs Six Mile Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Six Mile Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Little Winnibigoshish Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.

Both Little Winnibigoshish Lake and Six Mile 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 close: Little Winnibigoshish Lake (C) and Six Mile Lake (B) 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.

C

Little Winnibigoshish Lake

Itasca County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.

B

Six Mile Lake

Cass County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricLittle Winnibigoshish LakeSix Mile Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)B (Good)
Water Clarity8.4 ft11.5 ft
PhosphorusNo data16 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)10.5 µg/L6.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth28 ft68 ft
Surface Area1.0K acres1.3K acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species11
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Six Mile Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Little Winnibigoshish Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 8.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Six Mile Lake also leads with 1 species.