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LakeQuality

Clam Lake vs Upper Clam Lake

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

Clam Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Upper Clam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.

Both Clam Lake and Upper Clam Lake sit in Wisconsin. 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 close: Clam Lake (D) and Upper Clam Lake (F) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.

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.

D

Clam Lake

Burnett County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.

F

Upper Clam Lake

Burnett County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricClam LakeUpper Clam Lake
Overall GradeD (Poor)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity3 ft2 ft
Phosphorus66 µg/LNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)13 µg/LNo data
Maximum Depth11 ft11 ft
Surface Area1.3K acres1.3K acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Clam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Upper Clam Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Clam Lake also leads with 0 species.