Clearwater Lake vs Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Shepard Mountain Lake Intake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Clearwater Lake and Shepard Mountain Lake Intake sit in Missouri. 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 — Clearwater Lake (C) versus Shepard Mountain Lake Intake (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.
Clearwater Lake
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility.
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Shepard Mountain Lake Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.3 ft | 2.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 20.3 µg/L | 37 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.9 µg/L | 18.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 1.6K acres | 21 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
Clearwater Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Shepard Mountain Lake Intake's Grade D. Water clarity: 2.3 ft vs 2.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Clearwater Lake also leads with 0 species.