Otisco Lake vs Upper Little York Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Little York Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Otisco Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Otisco Lake and Upper Little York Lake sit in New York. 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. Upper Little York Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Otisco Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Upper Little York 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?
Otisco Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Upper Little York Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Otisco Lake | Upper Little York Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 11 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 2.3K acres | 150 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper Little York Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Otisco Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 5.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Upper Little York Lake also leads with 0 species.