George Lake vs Lake of the Hills
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
George Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lake of the Hills (C, Fair).
This comparison crosses state lines: George Lake in Illinois versus Lake of the Hills in Iowa. The LakeGrade rubric is uniform across both, but the underlying monitoring programs differ in subtle ways worth noting. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — George Lake (C) versus Lake of the Hills (C). 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.
George Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.2 ft.
Lake of the Hills
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | George Lake | Lake of the Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4.2 ft | 5.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22.5 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 16.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 167 acres | 657 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
George Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Lake of the Hills's Grade C. Water clarity: 4.2 ft vs 5.1 ft. For fishing diversity, George Lake also leads with 0 species.