Castle Rock Dam Lake vs Larson Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Larson Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Castle Rock Dam Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Hettinger County, Wisconsin.
Castle Rock Dam Lake and Larson 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Castle Rock Dam Lake (D) versus Larson 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.
Castle Rock Dam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft.
Larson Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Castle Rock Dam Lake | Larson Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 3.8 ft | 4.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.3 µg/L | 13.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 14.2 acres | 235 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
Larson Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Castle Rock Dam Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 4.8 ft vs 3.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Larson Lake also leads with 0 species.