Lower Mission Lake vs Upper Mission Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Mission Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) 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 meaningfully apart: Upper Mission Lake grades a A while Lower Mission 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 — Upper Mission 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 Mission Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Upper Mission Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Mission Lake | Upper Mission Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 11 ft |
| Phosphorus | 36 µg/L | 15.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14 µg/L | 5.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft | 36 ft |
| Surface Area | 732 acres | 882 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 13 |
| 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 A versus Lower Mission Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 6.9 ft. For more fish-species variety, Lower Mission Lake edges ahead with 14 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.