Lake Kegonsa vs Lake Waubesa
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Waubesa has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Kegonsa (D, Nutrient-rich). Both are in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa 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. Lake Waubesa (B) is materially cleaner than Lake Kegonsa (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 — Lake Waubesa 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 Kegonsa
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft.
Lake Waubesa
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Kegonsa | Lake Waubesa |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Nutrient-rich) | B (Good) Better |
| Water Clarity | 3.7 ft Better | 3.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 59.5 µg/L | 36.6 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 38 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 3,200 acres | 2,074 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 7 | 7 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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 Lake Kegonsa or Lake Waubesa against a different lake.
Verdict
Lake Waubesa wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Kegonsa's Grade D. Water clarity: 3.2 ft vs 3.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Waubesa also leads with 7 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.