Big Hollow Lake vs George Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
George Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Big Hollow Lake (F, Very Poor).
This comparison crosses state lines: Big Hollow Lake in Iowa versus George Lake in Illinois. The LakeGrade rubric is uniform across both, but the underlying monitoring programs differ in subtle ways worth noting. The grades are meaningfully apart: George Lake grades a C while Big Hollow Lake grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — George Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Big Hollow Lake
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility.
George Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Hollow Lake | George Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1.8 ft | 4.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 22.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 46 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 178 acres | 167 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
George Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Big Hollow Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.2 ft vs 1.8 ft. For fishing diversity, George Lake also leads with 0 species.