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LakeQuality

E. A. Patterson Lake vs Indian Creek Dam Lake

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

Indian Creek Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than E. A. Patterson Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both E. A. Patterson Lake and Indian Creek Dam 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 — E. A. Patterson Lake (D) versus Indian Creek Dam Lake (C). 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.

D

E. A. Patterson Lake

Stark County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5.3 ft.

C

Indian Creek Dam Lake

Hettinger County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricE. A. Patterson LakeIndian Creek Dam Lake
Overall GradeD (Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity5.3 ft3.1 ft
Phosphorus262.5 µg/LNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)15.9 µg/L8.2 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area2.2K acres236 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Indian Creek Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus E. A. Patterson Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 3.1 ft vs 5.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Indian Creek Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.