Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. vs Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. and Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade both received the same overall water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Both are in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. and Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade 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 Wisconsin Columbia Co. (F) versus Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade (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 Wisconsin Columbia Co.
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. | Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.2 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 7.2K acres | 7.2K 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
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co.: 2.2 ft, Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade: 2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. matches its peer on species count.