Belcourt Lake Beach vs Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Belcourt Lake Beach (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Belcourt Lake Beach and Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam 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. Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Belcourt Lake Beach (F). 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 — Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam 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?
Belcourt Lake Beach
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Belcourt Lake Beach | Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1 ft | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 827 acres | 240 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Belcourt Lake Beach's Grade F. Water clarity: 8 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.