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LakeQuality

Charles Mill Reservoir vs Leesville Lake

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

Leesville Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Charles Mill Reservoir (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Charles Mill Reservoir and Leesville Lake sit in Ohio. 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Charles Mill Reservoir (F) versus Leesville Lake (D). 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.

F

Charles Mill Reservoir

Ashland County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 0.9 ft of visibility.

D

Leesville Lake

Carroll County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5 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.

MetricCharles Mill ReservoirLeesville Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)D (Poor)
Water Clarity0.9 ft5 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area1.4K acres1.0K acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statehypereutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Leesville Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Charles Mill Reservoir's Grade F. Water clarity: 5 ft vs 0.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Leesville Lake also leads with 0 species.