1
ALake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes
Washington County, Missouri · 11.6 mi from Hemitite Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → A)
- ++10 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (5.2 vs 186.9 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Hemitite Lake
4 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Hemitite Lake carries a Grade F (Algae-prone) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 4 lakes hold a higher grade. Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes (Washington County, Grade A, 11.6 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated
2
ALake Capri
St. Francois County, Missouri · 11.6 mi from Hemitite Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → A)
- ++15.2 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (5.7 vs 186.9 µg/L)
3
ACouncil Bluff Lake
Iron County, Missouri · 14.9 mi from Hemitite Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → A)
- ++12 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (5.7 vs 186.9 µg/L)
4
ATimberline Lakes
St. Francois County, Missouri · 18.8 mi from Hemitite Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → A)
- ++13.2 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (5.5 vs 186.9 µg/L)
Reading the cohort
Within 30 miles of Hemitite Lake, 4 water bodies score higher than its Grade F 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 Hemitite Lake 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.
Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes (Washington County, Grade A) is the closest cleaner option at 11.6 miles from Hemitite Lake — close enough to be a genuine substitute for most users, far enough that it isn't the same neighborhood lake. Worth the trip if water quality is the primary driver; less obvious if Hemitite Lake is on the way to other plans.
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.