Dale Maffitt Reservoir vs Lake Ahquabi
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Dale Maffitt Reservoir has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Ahquabi (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Dale Maffitt Reservoir and Lake Ahquabi 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 meaningfully apart: Dale Maffitt Reservoir grades a B while Lake Ahquabi grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Dale Maffitt Reservoir 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?
Dale Maffitt Reservoir
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Lake Ahquabi
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Dale Maffitt Reservoir | Lake Ahquabi |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 1.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | 42.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 230 acres | 113 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Dale Maffitt Reservoir wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Ahquabi's Grade F. Water clarity: 9.8 ft vs 1.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Dale Maffitt Reservoir also leads with 0 species.