Smith Lake vs Unnamed Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Smith Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Unnamed Lake (C, Fair). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Both Smith Lake and Unnamed 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. Smith Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Unnamed 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 — Smith 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?
Smith Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Unnamed Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Smith Lake | Unnamed Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 15 ft | 4.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 220 acres | 20 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Smith Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Unnamed Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 4.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Smith Lake also leads with 1 species.