Mason Lake vs Peppermill Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Peppermill Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Mason Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Adams County, Wisconsin.
Mason Lake and Peppermill 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: Peppermill Lake grades a B while Mason Lake grades a F. 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 — Peppermill 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?
Mason Lake
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility.
Peppermill Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mason Lake | Peppermill Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 1.1 ft | 7.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 104.5 µg/L | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 856 acres | 80 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Peppermill Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Mason Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 7.5 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Peppermill Lake also leads with 0 species.