Dutch Hollow Lake vs Mirror Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Dutch Hollow Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Mirror Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Sauk County, Wisconsin.
Both Dutch Hollow Lake and Mirror 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. Dutch Hollow Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Mirror Lake (D). 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 — Dutch Hollow 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?
Dutch Hollow Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Mirror Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Dutch Hollow Lake | Mirror Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 15 ft | 4.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13.1 µg/L | 65.4 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 125 acres | 137 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Dutch Hollow Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Mirror Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 4.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Dutch Hollow Lake also leads with 0 species.