China Pond vs Lake Carmel
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
China Pond has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake Carmel (D, Poor). Both are in Putnam County, Wisconsin.
China Pond and Lake Carmel are both in New York — 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: China Pond grades a A while Lake Carmel grades a D. 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 — China Pond 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?
China Pond
Crystal clear, you can see 15.2 ft down.
Lake Carmel
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | China Pond | Lake Carmel |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 15.2 ft | 5.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 45 acres | 240 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
China Pond wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lake Carmel's Grade D. Water clarity: 15.2 ft vs 5.6 ft. For fishing diversity, China Pond also leads with 0 species.