Barnes Lake vs Spiritwood Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Spiritwood Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Barnes Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Stutsman County, North Dakota.
Both Barnes Lake and Spiritwood 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. Spiritwood Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Barnes 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 — Spiritwood 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?
Barnes Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.4 ft.
Spiritwood Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 31 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Barnes Lake | Spiritwood Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.4 ft | 31 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24 µg/L | 5.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 12 ft | 54.7 ft |
| Surface Area | 551.8 acres | 493.3 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 2 | 5 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Spiritwood Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Barnes Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 31 ft vs 6.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Spiritwood Lake also leads with 5 species.