Butternut Lake vs South Bay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Butternut Lake and South Bay Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Forest County, Wisconsin.
A
Butternut Lake
Forest County, Wisconsin
Crystal clear, you can see 59.1 ft down.
A
South Bay Lake
Forest County, Wisconsin
Crystal clear, you can see 41 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Butternut Lake | South Bay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 59.1 ft | 41 ft |
| Phosphorus | 11.8 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 46 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres | 839 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 5 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Butternut Lake: 59.1 ft, South Bay Lake: 41 ft) and what you want from the lake. Butternut Lake has fewer fish species than South Bay Lake.