Free Peoples Lake vs West Stump Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Free Peoples Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than West Stump Lake (D, Poor). Both are in North Dakota.
Free Peoples Lake and West Stump 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: Free Peoples Lake grades a A while West Stump Lake grades a D. 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 — Free Peoples 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?
Free Peoples Lake
No clarity data.
West Stump Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Free Peoples Lake | West Stump Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 9.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 18.7 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 39.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft | 77.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 543.6 acres | 17.7K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 4 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Free Peoples Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus West Stump Lake's Grade D. For more fish-species variety, West Stump Lake edges ahead with 4 documented species.