Balsam Lake vs Wapogasset Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Balsam Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Wapogasset Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Balsam Lake and Wapogasset Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are close: Balsam Lake (B) and Wapogasset 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.
Balsam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Wapogasset Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Balsam Lake | Wapogasset Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6.6 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16.1 µg/L | 30.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,901 acres | 1,189 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 Wapogasset Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 6.6 ft vs 6 ft. For more fish-species variety, Wapogasset Lake edges ahead with 5 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.