Buffalo Lake vs Lawrence Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lawrence Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Buffalo Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Marquette County, Wisconsin.
Both Buffalo Lake and Lawrence 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lawrence Lake grades a B while Buffalo Lake grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lawrence 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?
Buffalo Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Lawrence Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Buffalo Lake | Lawrence Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 6.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 125.5 µg/L | 25.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 2.2K acres | 221 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
Lawrence Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Buffalo Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6.7 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Lawrence Lake also leads with 0 species.