Lake Laretta vs Western Stump Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Laretta has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Western Stump Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Nelson County, North Dakota.
Both Lake Laretta and Western Stump Lake sit in North Dakota. 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Lake Laretta (D) versus Western Stump Lake (F). 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.
Lake Laretta
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft.
Western Stump Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Laretta | Western Stump Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.8 ft | 4.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 266 µg/L | 154.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 21.7 µg/L | 36.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 77.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 682.6 acres | 17.7K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Yes |
| Fish Species | 3 | 4 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Laretta wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Western Stump Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.8 ft vs 4.3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Western Stump Lake edges ahead with 4 documented species.