Friends Lake vs Lake Forest
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Friends Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake Forest (C, Fair). Both are in Warren County, Wisconsin.
Friends Lake and Lake Forest are both in New York — 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. Friends Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Lake Forest (C). 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 — Friends 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?
Friends Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.3 ft down.
Lake Forest
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Friends Lake | Lake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 16.3 ft | 8.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 450 acres | 28 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Friends Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lake Forest's Grade C. Water clarity: 16.3 ft vs 8.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Friends Lake also leads with 0 species.