Ellis Lake vs Rathbun Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Rathbun Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Ellis Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Ellis Lake and Rathbun Lake 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Ellis Lake (F) versus Rathbun Lake (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.
Ellis Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Rathbun Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ellis Lake | Rathbun Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 35.6 µg/L | 15.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 80 acres | 11.0K 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
Rathbun Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Ellis Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Rathbun Lake also leads with 0 species.