Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend vs Pike Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Pike Lake (B, Good). Both are in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend and Pike 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend (A) versus Pike Lake (B). 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.
Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend
Good clarity, visible to about 11.8 ft.
Pike Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Pike Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 11.8 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L | 19.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.6 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 105 ft | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 937 acres | 461 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 5 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Pike Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 11.8 ft vs 7 ft. For more fish-species variety, Pike Lake edges ahead with 5 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.