Mcdowell Dam Lake vs Nygren Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mcdowell Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Nygren Dam Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Mcdowell Dam Lake and Nygren Dam Lake are both in North Dakota — 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 close: Mcdowell Dam Lake (D) and Nygren Dam Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Mcdowell Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility.
Nygren Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mcdowell Dam Lake | Nygren Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 1.6 ft | 2.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.5 µg/L | 24.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 59.5 acres | 33.1 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
Mcdowell Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Nygren Dam Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 1.6 ft vs 2.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Mcdowell Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.