1
BAlcova Reservoir Transitional Pelagic
Natrona County, Wyoming · 2.5 mi from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++7.9 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (20 vs 35 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral carries a Grade C (Fair) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Alcova Reservoir Transitional Pelagic (Natrona County, Grade B, 2.5 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated
2
BPathfinder Reservoir Lacustrine Pelagic
Natrona County, Wyoming · 4.7 mi from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++7.3 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (20 vs 35 µg/L)
3
BAlcova Reservoir Lacustrine Pelagic
Natrona County, Wyoming · 4.8 mi from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++9.4 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (20 vs 35 µg/L)
4
BAlcova Reservoir Transitional Littoral
Natrona County, Wyoming · 2.1 mi from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++1.8 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (15 vs 35 µg/L)
5
BPathfinder Reservoir Lacustrine Littoral
Natrona County, Wyoming · 4.5 mi from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++4.4 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (20 vs 35 µg/L)
Reading the cohort
Within 30 miles of Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral, 5 water bodies score higher than its Grade C on the same EPA water-quality metrics. That density of cleaner options is itself a signal — when several nearby lakes score better on the same indicators, the issues at Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral are typically lake-specific (depth, watershed inflow, stratification pattern) rather than regional. The choice for a swim, paddle, or fishing trip is genuinely between meaningfully different water bodies, not between marginal differences in the same dataset.
The closest cleaner alternative — Alcova Reservoir Transitional Pelagic in Natrona County, Grade B — sits 2.5 miles from Alcova Reservoir Riverine Littoral. At that distance, the substitution cost is essentially zero: same drive time, same regional access, demonstrably cleaner water on the EPA indicators. For repeat visitors who care about clarity or phosphorus levels, swapping the routine to Alcova Reservoir Transitional Pelagic is mostly a habit change rather than a logistics change.
The EPA water-quality grading combines clarity (Secchi depth), phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measurements from state environmental sampling. A higher letter grade reflects measurably cleaner water on those indicators, not subjective beauty or access quality — a Grade A lake might have worse boat-launch facilities or shoreline access than a Grade C neighbor, so the ranking is one input alongside the rest of trip planning. See the methodology page for the full grading formula.
How this list is built
Every lake on LakeQuality has a calculated grade from EPA Water Quality Portal samples — secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measured against Metropolitan Council thresholds. To suggest cleaner alternatives, we filter lakes within 30 miles to those with a strictly higher numeric score, then rank by grade improvement with a small proximity tiebreak. Cross-state and limited-data lakes are excluded so the list stays locally relevant.