Lower Mission Lake vs Upper Mission Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Mission Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lower Mission Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both Lower Mission Lake and Upper Mission 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 close: Lower Mission Lake (C) and Upper Mission Lake (B) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Lower Mission Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Upper Mission Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Mission Lake | Upper Mission Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 10 ft |
| Phosphorus | 36 µg/L | 21 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft | 36 ft |
| Surface Area | 732.2 acres | 881.57 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper Mission Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lower Mission Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Upper Mission Lake also leads with 1 species.