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LakeQuality

Oyster Lake vs Shell Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Oyster Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Shell Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

C

Oyster Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft.

F

Shell Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricOyster LakeShell Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity7.3 ft3 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth130 ft15 ft
Surface Area762.91 acres493.3 acres
Public AccessNoNo
Fish Species08
Trophic Statemesotrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Oyster Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Shell Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 7.3 ft vs 3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Shell Lake edges ahead with 8 documented species.