1
ASeetal Lake
Gasconade County, Missouri · 20.8 mi from Ben Branch Lake by Dam
- +Two grade letters higher (D → A)
- ++3.3 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (17 vs 30.4 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Ben Branch Lake by Dam
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Ben Branch Lake by Dam carries a Grade D (Nutrient-rich) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Seetal Lake (Gasconade County, Grade A, 20.8 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated
2
BCrow Pond
Callaway County, Missouri · 22.7 mi from Ben Branch Lake by Dam
- +Two grade letters higher (D → B)
3
CPeaceful Valley Lake
Gasconade County, Missouri · 19.9 mi from Ben Branch Lake by Dam
- +Higher grade (D → C)
4
CLost Valley Lake
Gasconade County, Missouri · 22.6 mi from Ben Branch Lake by Dam
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- +Lower phosphorus (22.7 vs 30.4 µg/L)
Reading the cohort
Within 30 miles of Ben Branch Lake by Dam, 5 water bodies score higher than its Grade D 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 Ben Branch Lake by Dam 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 nearest cleaner alternative — Seetal Lake in Gasconade County — sits 20.8 miles from Ben Branch Lake by Dam, putting it firmly in "destination trip" rather than "neighborhood swap" range. The water-quality gap has to be the deciding factor; for a casual outing, Ben Branch Lake by Dam is the practical choice and the cleaner options are reserved for purpose-specific visits.
Lakes are graded A to F on nutrients and algae — total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity — measured against the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 condition classes for that lake's own ecoregion, so a lake is judged against the lakes it would naturally resemble. A higher letter reflects measurably lower nutrient and algae levels, 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. The full grading formula is on our methodology page.
How this list is built
Rated lakes on LakeQuality have a letter from EPA Water Quality Portal samples — nutrients and algae measured against EPA National Lakes Assessment ecoregion classes. Secchi is shown, not scored. 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.