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LakeQuality

Indian Creek Dam Lake vs Mirror Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Indian Creek Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Mirror Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Indian Creek Dam Lake and Mirror 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: Indian Creek Dam Lake grades a C while Mirror 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 — Indian Creek Dam 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?

C

Indian Creek Dam Lake

Hettinger County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility.

F

Mirror Lake

Adams County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricIndian Creek Dam LakeMirror Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity3.1 ft2.1 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)8.2 µg/L31.6 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area236 acres94.33 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Indian Creek Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Mirror Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.1 ft vs 2.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Indian Creek Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.