Ml-Malone Lake vs Ml-Thains Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ml-Malone Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Ml-Thains Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota.
Ml-Malone Lake and Ml-Thains 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. Ml-Malone Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Ml-Thains 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 — Ml-Malone 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?
Ml-Malone Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Ml-Thains Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ml-Malone Lake | Ml-Thains Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.7 ft | 5.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.4 µg/L | 3.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 128,250 acres | 128,250 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 21 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Ml-Malone Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Ml-Thains Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.7 ft vs 5.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Ml-Malone Lake also leads with 21 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.