Butternut Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Butternut Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Price County, Wisconsin.
Butternut Lake and Round Lake are both in Wisconsin — 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Butternut Lake (C) versus Round 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.
Butternut Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Round Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Butternut Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 36.2 µg/L | 27.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 983 acres | 748 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
Round Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Butternut Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 4 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 0 species.