Bowman-Haley Dam Lake vs Cedar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bowman-Haley Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Cedar Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Bowman-Haley Dam Lake and Cedar Lake are both in North Dakota — 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. Bowman-Haley Dam Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Cedar Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Bowman-Haley Dam Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Bowman-Haley Dam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Cedar Lake
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bowman-Haley Dam Lake | Cedar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.9 ft | 1.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.4 µg/L | 53.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 1.8K acres | 210 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bowman-Haley Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Cedar Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.9 ft vs 1.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Bowman-Haley Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.