Little Wolf Lake vs Midge Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Midge Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Little Wolf Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Little Wolf Lake and Midge 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: Midge Lake grades a A while Little Wolf Lake grades a C. 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 — Midge 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 Wolf Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Midge Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little Wolf Lake | Midge Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 7 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | 26.5 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.7 µg/L | 2.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 525 acres | 546 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 11 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Midge Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Little Wolf Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 7 ft. For more fish-species variety, Little Wolf Lake edges ahead with 13 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.