Northgate Dam Lake vs Short Creek Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Northgate Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Short Creek Dam Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Burke County, Wisconsin.
Northgate Dam Lake and Short Creek 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: Northgate Dam Lake (B) and Short Creek Dam Lake (C) 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.
Northgate Dam Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.4 ft.
Short Creek Dam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Northgate Dam Lake | Short Creek Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 9.4 ft | 3.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.4 µg/L | 9.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 152 acres | 112 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Northgate Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Short Creek Dam Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 9.4 ft vs 3.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Northgate Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.