Bilby Ranch Lake vs Pierce Creek Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bilby Ranch Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Pierce Creek Lake (F, Very Poor).
Bilby Ranch Lake is in Missouri; Pierce Creek Lake is in Iowa. Cross-state comparisons carry an extra wrinkle — Minnesota PCA and Wisconsin DNR use slightly different sampling cadences and station coverage, though both feed the same EPA Water Quality Portal. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Bilby Ranch Lake (D) versus Pierce Creek Lake (F). 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.
Bilby Ranch Lake
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility.
Pierce Creek Lake
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bilby Ranch Lake | Pierce Creek Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.4 ft | 2.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 51.3 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.1 µg/L | 39.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 110 acres | 38 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
Bilby Ranch Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Pierce Creek Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 2.4 ft vs 2.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Bilby Ranch Lake also leads with 0 species.