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LakeQuality

Arkdale Lake vs Friendship Lake

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

Arkdale Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Friendship Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Adams County, Wisconsin.

Both Arkdale Lake and Friendship 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. The grades are close: Arkdale Lake (C) and Friendship Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.

With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

C

Arkdale Lake

Adams County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.

C

Friendship Lake

Adams County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricArkdale LakeFriendship Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)C (Fair)
Water Clarity5 ft4 ft
Phosphorus21.8 µg/L31 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area55 acres114 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Arkdale Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Friendship Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Arkdale Lake also leads with 0 species.