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LakeQuality

Black Hawk Lake vs Hidden Valley Lake 1

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

Hidden Valley Lake 1 has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Black Hawk Lake (B, Good). Both are in Wisconsin.

Black Hawk Lake and Hidden Valley Lake 1 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 — Black Hawk Lake (B) versus Hidden Valley Lake 1 (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.

B

Black Hawk Lake

Iowa County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.

B

Hidden Valley Lake 1

Lafayette County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft.

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.

MetricBlack Hawk LakeHidden Valley Lake 1
Overall GradeB (Good)B (Good)
Water Clarity5 ft13.1 ft
Phosphorus19.9 µg/LNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area220 acres22 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

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

Verdict

Hidden Valley Lake 1 wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Black Hawk Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 13.1 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Hidden Valley Lake 1 also leads with 0 species.