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LakeQuality

Holden City Lake Nr. Dam vs Lotawana Lk. Lake

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

Lotawana Lk. Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Holden City Lake Nr. Dam (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Holden City Lake Nr. Dam and Lotawana Lk. Lake 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lotawana Lk. Lake grades a C while Holden City Lake Nr. Dam 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 — Lotawana Lk. Lake 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

Holden City Lake Nr. Dam

Johnson County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.

C

Lotawana Lk. Lake

Jackson County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 4.6 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.

MetricHolden City Lake Nr. DamLotawana Lk. Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)C (Fair)
Water Clarity2 ft4.6 ft
Phosphorus96 µg/L31 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)39.2 µg/L12.4 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area380 acres480 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Lotawana Lk. Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Holden City Lake Nr. Dam's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.6 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Lotawana Lk. Lake also leads with 0 species.