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LakeQuality

Hemitite Lake vs Port Perry Lake South Arm

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

Port Perry Lake South Arm has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Hemitite Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Hemitite Lake and Port Perry Lake South Arm 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Port Perry Lake South Arm grades a B while Hemitite Lake grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.

For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Port Perry Lake South Arm 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.

B

Port Perry Lake South Arm

Perry County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.

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 LakePort Perry Lake South Arm
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)B (Good)
Water Clarity1.1 ft9.5 ft
Phosphorus186.9 µg/L8.3 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)91.9 µg/L2.3 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area220 acres187 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statehypereutrophicoligotrophic

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

Verdict

Port Perry Lake South Arm wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Hemitite Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Port Perry Lake South Arm also leads with 0 species.