Black Hawk Lake vs Hidden Valley Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Black Hawk Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Hidden Valley Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Black Hawk Lake and Hidden Valley 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 — Black Hawk Lake (B) versus Hidden Valley Lake (C). 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.
Black Hawk Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Hidden Valley Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Black Hawk Lake | Hidden Valley Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.9 µg/L | 44.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 220 acres | 22 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Black Hawk Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Hidden Valley Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Black Hawk Lake also leads with 0 species.