Kolding Dam Lake vs South Golden Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
South Golden Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Kolding Dam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Kolding Dam Lake and South Golden 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 meaningfully apart: South 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 — South 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.
South Golden Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Kolding Dam Lake | South Golden Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1.7 ft | 6.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 12.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 9.8 acres | 330 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
South Golden Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Kolding Dam Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6.2 ft vs 1.7 ft. For fishing diversity, South Golden Lake also leads with 0 species.