Pigeon Lake vs Pope Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Pope Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Pigeon Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Waupaca County, Wisconsin.
Pigeon Lake and Pope 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: Pope Lake grades a A while Pigeon Lake grades a D. 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 — Pope 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?
Pigeon Lake
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility.
Pope Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Pigeon Lake | Pope Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 2.4 ft | 16 ft |
| Phosphorus | 73.1 µg/L | 15.6 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 163 acres | 22 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
Pope Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Pigeon Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16 ft vs 2.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Pope Lake also leads with 0 species.