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LakeQuality

Binder Lake vs Mormon Trail Lake

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

Mormon Trail Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Binder Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Binder Lake and Mormon Trail Lake sit in Iowa. 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. The grades are close: Binder Lake (D) and Mormon Trail Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.

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.

D

Binder Lake

Adams County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.

C

Mormon Trail Lake

Adair County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 6.2 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.

MetricBinder LakeMormon Trail Lake
Overall GradeD (Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity3 ft6.2 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)24.5 µg/L9.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area79.4 acres33 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Mormon Trail Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Binder Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.2 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Mormon Trail Lake also leads with 0 species.