Balsam Lake vs Cedar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Balsam Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Cedar Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Both Balsam Lake and Cedar 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 meaningfully apart: Balsam Lake grades a B while Cedar Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Balsam 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?
Balsam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Cedar Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Balsam Lake | Cedar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6.6 ft | 6.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16.1 µg/L | 42.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,901 acres | 1,120 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 5 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Balsam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Cedar Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.6 ft vs 6.1 ft. For more fish-species variety, Cedar Lake edges ahead with 5 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.