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LakeQuality

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend vs Big Cedar Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Big Cedar Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend (A, Excellent). Both are in Washington County, Wisconsin.

Both Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend and Big 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend (A) versus Big Cedar Lake (A). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

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.

A

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Washington County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 11.8 ft.

A

Big Cedar Lake

Washington County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricBig Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West BendBig Cedar Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity11.8 ft16.4 ft
Phosphorus17.5 µg/L14.1 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth105 ft105 ft
Surface Area937 acres937 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Big Cedar Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend's Grade A. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 11.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Cedar Lake also leads with 0 species.