Catclaw Lake vs Lotawana Lk. Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lotawana Lk. Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Catclaw Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Jackson County, Wisconsin.
Catclaw Lake and Lotawana Lk. Lake are both in Missouri — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. Lotawana Lk. Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Catclaw Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lotawana Lk. 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?
Catclaw Lake
No clarity data.
Lotawana Lk. Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Catclaw Lake | Lotawana Lk. Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 4.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 164 µg/L | 31 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 12.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 43 acres | 480 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lotawana Lk. Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Catclaw Lake's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Lotawana Lk. Lake also leads with 0 species.