Lake Chetac vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake Chetac (D, Poor). Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Both Lake Chetac and Round Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. Round Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Lake Chetac (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 — 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
No clarity data.
Round Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 21.1 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Chetac | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 21.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 68.8 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's Grade D. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 0 species.