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LakeQuality

Easter Lake vs Fort des Moines Park Pond

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

Easter Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Fort des Moines Park Pond (F, Very Poor). Both are in Polk County, Wisconsin.

Easter Lake and Fort des Moines Park Pond are both in Iowa — 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Easter Lake (D) versus Fort des Moines Park Pond (F). 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.

D

Easter Lake

Polk County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2.9 ft of visibility.

F

Fort des Moines Park Pond

Polk County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricEaster LakeFort des Moines Park Pond
Overall GradeD (Poor)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity2.9 ft2.8 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)22.8 µg/L32.6 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area218 acres11.6 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Easter Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Fort des Moines Park Pond's Grade F. Water clarity: 2.9 ft vs 2.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Easter Lake also leads with 0 species.