Clausen Springs Lake vs Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clausen Springs Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Clausen Springs Lake and Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake are both in North Dakota — 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. Clausen Springs Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake (F). 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 — Clausen Springs Lake 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?
Clausen Springs Lake
No clarity data.
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clausen Springs Lake | Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 3.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.6 µg/L | 32.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 42.7 acres | 124 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Clausen Springs Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Clausen Springs Lake also leads with 0 species.