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LakeQuality

Buffalo Lodge Lake vs J. Clark Salyer Pool 357

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

Buffalo Lodge Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than J. Clark Salyer Pool 357 (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Buffalo Lodge Lake and J. Clark Salyer Pool 357 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Buffalo Lodge Lake grades a C while J. Clark Salyer Pool 357 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 — Buffalo Lodge 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?

C

Buffalo Lodge Lake

McHenry County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.

F

J. Clark Salyer Pool 357

Bottineau County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricBuffalo Lodge LakeJ. Clark Salyer Pool 357
Overall GradeC (Fair)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity3 ft2.2 ft
PhosphorusNo data215 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.6 µg/L23.3 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area1.4K acres5.0K acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Buffalo Lodge Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus J. Clark Salyer Pool 357's Grade F. Water clarity: 3 ft vs 2.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Buffalo Lodge Lake also leads with 0 species.