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Williamson Pond Max Depth carries a Grade F (Algae-prone) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 1 lake holds a higher grade. Hooper Pond Lake (Warren County, Grade D, 23.2 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated
1
D

Hooper Pond Lake

Warren County, Iowa · 23.2 mi from Williamson Pond Max Depth
  • +Higher grade (F → D)
  • +Lower phosphorus (61 vs 236 µg/L)

Reading the cohort

Just one nearby water body scores higher than Williamson Pond Max Depth on the EPA metrics within a 30-mile radius. The single cleaner option (below) is the practical alternative; beyond that, the next-cleanest lakes sit farther out and warrant a longer drive only if the water-quality difference is the deciding factor.

The nearest cleaner alternative — Hooper Pond Lake in Warren County — sits 23.2 miles from Williamson Pond Max Depth, 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, Williamson Pond Max Depth 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.