North Lake vs Okauchee Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Okauchee Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than North Lake (B, Good). Both are in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Both North Lake and Okauchee Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — North Lake (B) versus Okauchee Lake (A). 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.
North Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Okauchee Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | North Lake | Okauchee Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) Better |
| Water Clarity | 8 ft | 11.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 17.9 µg/L Better | 18 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 3.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 78.4 ft | 90 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 440 acres | 1,210 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 6 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare North Lake or Okauchee Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Okauchee Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus North Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 8 ft. For fishing diversity, Okauchee Lake also leads with 6 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.