Kota Ray Dam Lake vs Mcleod Reservoir
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Kota Ray Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Mcleod Reservoir (C, Fair). Both are in Williams County, Wisconsin.
Kota Ray Dam Lake and Mcleod Reservoir 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Kota Ray Dam Lake (B) versus Mcleod Reservoir (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.
Kota Ray Dam Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft.
Mcleod Reservoir
Murky, only visible to about 5.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Kota Ray Dam Lake | Mcleod Reservoir |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 7.7 ft | 5.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | 16.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 27.7 acres | 38 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Kota Ray Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Mcleod Reservoir's Grade C. Water clarity: 7.7 ft vs 5.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Kota Ray Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.