Hemitite Lake vs Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Hemitite Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in St. Francois County, Wisconsin.
Hemitite Lake and Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes are both in Missouri — 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. Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes (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 Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes 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?
Hemitite Lake
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility.
Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Hemitite Lake | Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 1.1 ft | 14.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 186.9 µg/L | 7.4 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 91.9 µg/L | 2.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 220 acres | 56 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Hemitite Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 14.1 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes also leads with 0 species.