Barnes Lake vs Cherry Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cherry Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Barnes Lake (D, Poor). Both are in North Dakota.
Both Barnes Lake and Cherry Lake sit in North Dakota. 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: Barnes Lake (D) and Cherry 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.
Barnes Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.4 ft.
Cherry Lake
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Barnes Lake | Cherry Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6.4 ft | 2.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 12 ft | 10.7 ft |
| Surface Area | 551.8 acres | 666.5 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 2 | 2 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Cherry Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Barnes Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 2.2 ft vs 6.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Cherry Lake also leads with 2 species.