Lake Mendota vs Lake Waubesa
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Mendota has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lake Waubesa (D, Poor). Both are in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Lake Mendota 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Lake Mendota (C) versus Lake Waubesa (D). 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 Mendota
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Lake Waubesa
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Mendota | Lake Waubesa |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 5 ft | 3.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 50.2 µg/L | 36.6 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 83 ft | 38 ft |
| Surface Area | 9.8K acres | 2.1K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Mendota wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Lake Waubesa's Grade D. Water clarity: 5 ft vs 3.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Mendota also leads with 0 species.