Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend vs Pike Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Pike Lake (B, Good). Both are in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Both Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend and Pike 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-South 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-South Site-Near West Bend
Good clarity, visible to about 12.6 ft.
Pike Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend | Pike Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 12.6 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 19.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 105 ft | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 937 acres | 461 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Pike Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 12.6 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend also leads with 0 species.