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LakeQuality

China Pond vs Roaring Brook Lake

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

China Pond has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Roaring Brook Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Putnam County, Wisconsin.

Both China Pond and Roaring Brook Lake sit in New York. 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. China Pond (A) is materially cleaner than Roaring Brook Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.

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?

A

China Pond

Putnam County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 15.2 ft down.

C

Roaring Brook Lake

Putnam County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 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.

MetricChina PondRoaring Brook Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)C (Fair)
Water Clarity15.2 ft8.3 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area45 acres112 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateoligotrophicmesotrophic

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 Roaring Brook Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15.2 ft vs 8.3 ft. For fishing diversity, China Pond also leads with 0 species.