Lac la Belle Lake vs Oconomowoc Lake No. 1
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lac la Belle Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Lac la Belle Lake and Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 are both in Wisconsin — 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. Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 (A) is materially cleaner than Lac la Belle Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 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?
Lac la Belle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft.
Oconomowoc Lake No. 1
Good clarity, visible to about 13.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lac la Belle Lake | Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.5 ft | 13.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 45 ft | 60 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres | 818 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lac la Belle Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 13.8 ft vs 5.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 also leads with 0 species.