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LakeQuality

Altoona Lake vs Moon Bay Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Moon Bay Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Altoona Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Altoona Lake and Moon Bay Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Altoona Lake (F) versus Moon Bay Lake (D). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

F

Altoona Lake

Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.

D

Moon Bay Lake

Chippewa County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricAltoona LakeMoon Bay Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)D (Poor)
Water Clarity3 ft3.7 ft
Phosphorus99.6 µg/LNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth25 ft64.4 ft
Surface Area720 acres6.1K acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Moon Bay Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Altoona Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.7 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Moon Bay Lake also leads with 0 species.