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LakeQuality

Cedar Lake vs Larson Lake

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

Larson Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Cedar Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Cedar Lake and Larson Lake sit in North Dakota. 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: Larson Lake grades a C while Cedar 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 — Larson 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?

F

Cedar Lake

Slope County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility.

C

Larson Lake

Hettinger County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.

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.

MetricCedar LakeLarson Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity1.3 ft4.8 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)53.4 µg/L13.1 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area210 acres235 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statehypereutrophiceutrophic

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 Cedar Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.8 ft vs 1.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Larson Lake also leads with 0 species.