Lower Hay Lake vs Twin Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Hay Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Twin Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Lower Hay Lake and Twin 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lower Hay Lake grades a A while Twin 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 — Lower Hay 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 Hay Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
Twin Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Hay Lake | Twin Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 19 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 100 ft | 30 ft |
| Surface Area | 700.21 acres | 491.76 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Hay Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Twin Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 19 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Hay Lake also leads with 1 species.