Lower Hay Lake vs Whitefish Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Hay Lake and Whitefish Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Lower Hay Lake and Whitefish 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 sit close on the readings, Lower Hay Lake versus Whitefish Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Lower Hay Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down.
Whitefish Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Hay Lake | Whitefish Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 18.5 ft Better | 14.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L Better | 14 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 100 ft | 138 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 700 acres | 7,714 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 23 Better |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Lower Hay Lake or Whitefish Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lower Hay Lake: 18.5 ft, Whitefish Lake: 14.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lower Hay Lake has fewer fish species than Whitefish Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.