What is the cleanest lake near South Pond?

Saint Mary'S River Offshore Lake in Chippewa County holds a Grade A water quality score and is 0.4 miles from South Pond.

Why is South Pond not Grade A?

South Pond holds Grade D, with about 1.3 ft of water clarity and 27.5 µg/L of phosphorus. The grade reflects measured water quality against Metropolitan Council thresholds. Cleaner alternatives nearby score higher on clarity, phosphorus, or chlorophyll-a.

Are these recommendations based on real data?

Yes. Every grade is calculated from EPA Water Quality Portal samples for the lake. Recommendations are limited to lakes within 30 miles of South Pond in Wisconsin, with strictly higher numeric grade scores and sufficient monitoring data.

Cleaner Lakes Than South Pond, Top 5 Within 30 Miles, LakeQuality

Cleaner Lakes Than South Pond

5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.

South Pond carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Saint Mary'S River Offshore Lake (Chippewa County, Grade A, 0.4 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.

Saint Mary'S River Offshore Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin · 0.4 mi from South Pond

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
+Lower phosphorus (17.5 vs 27.5 µg/L)

Saint Mary'S River Shore Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin · 0.2 mi from South Pond

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)

Back Bay Deep Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin · 2.2 mi from South Pond

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
++6.9 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (15 vs 27.5 µg/L)

Spectacle Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin · 1.3 mi from South Pond

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
+Lower phosphorus (21.9 vs 27.5 µg/L)

Wharf 1 Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin · 1.9 mi from South Pond

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)

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.