George Lake vs Lost Grove Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
George Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lost Grove Lake (C, Fair).
George Lake is in Illinois; Lost Grove Lake is in Iowa. Cross-state comparisons carry an extra wrinkle — Minnesota PCA and Wisconsin DNR use slightly different sampling cadences and station coverage, though both feed the same EPA Water Quality Portal. The grades are close: George Lake (C) and Lost Grove Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Lost Grove Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | George Lake | Lost Grove Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4.2 ft | 3.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22.5 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 15.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 167 acres | 350 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 Lost Grove Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 4.2 ft vs 3.9 ft. For fishing diversity, George Lake also leads with 0 species.