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LakeQuality

Cole Lake vs Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes

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

Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Cole Lake (B, Good). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Cole Lake and Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes 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. The grades are close: Cole Lake (B) and Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes (A) 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.

B

Cole Lake

Jefferson County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down.

A

Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes

Washington County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 11.1 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.

MetricCole LakeLake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes
Overall GradeB (Good)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity18.5 ft11.1 ft
Phosphorus17 µg/L5 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)16.5 µg/L1.2 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area42 acres51 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

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

Verdict

Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Cole Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 11.1 ft vs 18.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes also leads with 0 species.