Lac la Belle Lake vs Oconomowoc Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lac la Belle Lake and Oconomowoc Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. 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 sit close on the readings, Lac la Belle Lake versus Oconomowoc Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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 12.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lac la Belle Lake | Oconomowoc Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 12.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 14.7 µg/L | 11.9 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 45 ft | 60 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,154 acres | 818 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 5 | 5 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Lac la Belle Lake or Oconomowoc Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lac la Belle Lake: 4.8 ft, Oconomowoc Lake: 12.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lac la Belle Lake matches its peer on species count.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.