Lake Chetac North Basin vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake Chetac North Basin (C, Fair). Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Lake Chetac North Basin and Round 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. Round Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Lake Chetac North Basin (C). 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 — Round 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?
Lake Chetac North Basin
No clarity data.
Round Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 21.1 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Chetac North Basin | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 21.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 56.7 µg/L | 14.4 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft | 74 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.4K acres | 3.3K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Round Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lake Chetac North Basin's Grade C. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 0 species.