Little Winnibigoshish Lake vs Tamarack Bay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Little Winnibigoshish Lake and Tamarack Bay Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of C (Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Little Winnibigoshish Lake and Tamarack Bay 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Little Winnibigoshish Lake (C) versus Tamarack Bay Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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 Winnibigoshish Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.
Tamarack Bay Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little Winnibigoshish Lake | Tamarack Bay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 8.4 ft | 11.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.5 µg/L | 4.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 28 ft | 69.8 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,002 acres | 56,471 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 20 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Little Winnibigoshish Lake: 8.4 ft, Tamarack Bay Lake: 11.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Little Winnibigoshish Lake has fewer fish species than Tamarack Bay Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.