Kolding Dam Lake vs North Golden Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
North Golden Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Kolding Dam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Kolding Dam Lake and North Golden 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: North Golden Lake grades a C while Kolding Dam 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 — North Golden 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?
Kolding Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility.
North Golden Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Kolding Dam Lake | North Golden Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1.7 ft | 3.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 18.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 9.8 acres | 313 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
North Golden Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Kolding Dam Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.8 ft vs 1.7 ft. For fishing diversity, North Golden Lake also leads with 0 species.