Gordon Beach Lake vs Wheaton Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Wheaton Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Gordon Beach Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Rolette County, Wisconsin.
Gordon Beach Lake and Wheaton 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: Wheaton Lake grades a B while Gordon Beach Lake grades a F. 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 — Wheaton 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?
Gordon Beach Lake
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Wheaton Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Gordon Beach Lake | Wheaton Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 1 ft | 8.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 5.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 164 acres | 164 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Wheaton Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Gordon Beach Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 8.5 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Wheaton Lake also leads with 0 species.