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LakeQuality

Hemitite Lake vs Lake Capri

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

Lake Capri has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Hemitite Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in St. Francois County, Wisconsin.

Both Hemitite Lake and Lake Capri sit in Missouri. 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. Lake Capri (A) is materially cleaner than Hemitite Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.

For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lake Capri 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?

F

Hemitite Lake

St. Francois County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility.

A

Lake Capri

St. Francois County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 16.3 ft down.

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.

MetricHemitite LakeLake Capri
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity1.1 ft16.3 ft
Phosphorus186.9 µg/L5.7 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)91.9 µg/L0.9 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area220 acres112 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statehypereutrophicoligotrophic

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

Verdict

Lake Capri wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Hemitite Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 16.3 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Capri also leads with 0 species.