Deer Ridge Comm. Lake vs Fox Valley Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Fox Valley Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Deer Ridge Comm. Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Deer Ridge Comm. Lake and Fox Valley 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Fox Valley Lake grades a B while Deer Ridge Comm. Lake grades a D. 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 — Fox Valley 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?
Deer Ridge Comm. Lake
Very murky, less than 2.9 ft of visibility.
Fox Valley Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Deer Ridge Comm. Lake | Fox Valley Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 2.9 ft | 8.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 44 µg/L | 16.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 19.8 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 48 acres | 96 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Fox Valley Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Deer Ridge Comm. Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8.5 ft vs 2.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Fox Valley Lake also leads with 0 species.