Geneva Lake vs Whitewater Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Geneva Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Whitewater Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Geneva Lake and Whitewater Lake are both in Wisconsin — 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: Geneva Lake grades a A while Whitewater Lake grades a C. 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 — Geneva 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?
Geneva Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 20.2 ft down.
Whitewater Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Geneva Lake | Whitewater Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 20.2 ft | 4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | 26.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 135 ft | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 5.4K acres | 625 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
Geneva Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Whitewater Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 20.2 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Geneva Lake also leads with 0 species.