Devils Lake vs Dry Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Devils Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Dry Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Ramsey County, North Dakota.
Both Devils Lake and Dry Lake sit in North Dakota. 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Devils Lake (C) versus Dry Lake (D). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Devils Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Dry Lake
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Devils Lake | Dry Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 2.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 639.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 17 µg/L | 13.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 58.1 ft | 24.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 140.0K acres | 5.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 4 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Devils Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Dry Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 5.2 ft vs 2.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Devils Lake also leads with 5 species.