Shallow Lake vs Sugar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Shallow Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Sugar Lake (B, Good). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
A
Shallow Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
B
Sugar Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Shallow Lake | Sugar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 4.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 85 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 538.95 acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 12 | 13 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Shallow Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Sugar Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 7 ft. For more fish-species variety, Sugar Lake edges ahead with 13 documented species.