Harmon Lake vs Mcdowell Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mcdowell Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Harmon Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Harmon Lake and Mcdowell 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. The grades are close: Harmon Lake (F) and Mcdowell Dam Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Harmon Lake
No clarity data.
Mcdowell Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Harmon Lake | Mcdowell Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 1.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 48.5 µg/L | 10.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 144 acres | 59.5 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mcdowell Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Harmon Lake's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Mcdowell Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.