Lake Montello vs Lawrence Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lawrence Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Montello (D, Poor). Both are in Marquette County, Wisconsin.
Lake Montello and Lawrence 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lawrence Lake grades a B while Lake Montello grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lawrence 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 Montello
Murky, only visible to about 6.1 ft.
Lawrence Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Montello | Lawrence Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 6.1 ft | 6.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 25.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 2.2K acres | 221 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
Lawrence Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Montello's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.7 ft vs 6.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Lawrence Lake also leads with 0 species.