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LakeQuality

Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake vs Silver Lake

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

Silver Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake and Silver 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Silver Lake grades a C while Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake grades a F. 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 — Silver 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?

F

Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake

Ransom County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.

C

Silver Lake

Sargent County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5.9 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.

MetricDead Colt Creek Dam LakeSilver Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity3.3 ft5.9 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)32.3 µg/L10.5 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area124 acres124 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Silver Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 5.9 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Silver Lake also leads with 0 species.