Lower Bottle Lake vs Potato Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Bottle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Potato Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Both Lower Bottle Lake and Potato 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. Lower Bottle Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Potato Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lower Bottle 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?
Lower Bottle Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Potato Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Bottle Lake | Potato Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 15 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 110 ft | 76 ft |
| Surface Area | 641.17 acres | 1.6K acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Bottle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Potato Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Bottle Lake also leads with 1 species.