Hidden Valley Lake 1 vs Yellowstone Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Hidden Valley Lake 1 has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Yellowstone Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
Both Hidden Valley Lake 1 and Yellowstone Lake sit in Wisconsin. 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. Hidden Valley Lake 1 (B) is materially cleaner than Yellowstone Lake (F). 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 — Hidden Valley Lake 1 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?
Hidden Valley Lake 1
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft.
Yellowstone Lake
Very murky, less than 1.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hidden Valley Lake 1 | Yellowstone Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 13.1 ft | 1.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 156 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 22 acres | 455 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Hidden Valley Lake 1 wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Yellowstone Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 13.1 ft vs 1.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Hidden Valley Lake 1 also leads with 0 species.