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Clark Lake and Kangaroo Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Door County, Wisconsin.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Clark Lake and Kangaroo Lake are both in Wisconsin — 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. These two sit close on the readings, Clark Lake versus Kangaroo Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With readings 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.

Clark Lake

Door County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft.

Kangaroo Lake

Door County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.8 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricClark LakeKangaroo Lake
Water Clarity12.5 ft Better8.8 ft
Phosphorus10.5 µg/L Better13.2 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth25 ft Better12 ft
Surface Area865 acres1,156 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species6 Better5
Trophic Stateoligotrophicmesotrophic

A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.

Verdict

Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clark Lake: 12.5 ft, Kangaroo Lake: 8.8 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clark Lake supports more documented fish species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.