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LakeQuality

Kirk Lake vs Roaring Brook Lake

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

Roaring Brook Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Kirk Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Putnam County, Wisconsin.

Kirk Lake and Roaring Brook Lake are both in New York — 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Kirk Lake (D) versus Roaring Brook Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

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.

D

Kirk Lake

Putnam County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.

C

Roaring Brook Lake

Putnam County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 ft.

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.

MetricKirk LakeRoaring Brook Lake
Overall GradeD (Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity5 ft8.3 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area124 acres112 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

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

Verdict

Roaring Brook Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Kirk Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8.3 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Roaring Brook Lake also leads with 0 species.