Apple River Flowage Lake vs Deer Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Deer Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Apple River Flowage Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Both Apple River Flowage Lake and Deer Lake sit in Wisconsin. 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. Deer Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Apple River Flowage Lake (D). 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 — Deer 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?
Apple River Flowage Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
Deer Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Apple River Flowage Lake | Deer Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 16 ft |
| Phosphorus | 78.5 µg/L | 16.9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 18 ft | 46 ft |
| Surface Area | 604 acres | 786 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Deer Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Apple River Flowage Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16 ft vs 5.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Deer Lake also leads with 0 species.