Lac la Belle Lake vs Oconomowoc Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Oconomowoc Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lac la Belle Lake (B, Good). Both are in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Lac la Belle Lake and Oconomowoc Lake 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Lac la Belle Lake (B) versus Oconomowoc Lake (A). 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.
Lac la Belle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Oconomowoc Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lac la Belle Lake | Oconomowoc Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 13 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14.7 µg/L | 11.7 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 | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Oconomowoc Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lac la Belle Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 4.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Oconomowoc Lake also leads with 0 species.