Houston Lake vs Waukomis Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Waukomis Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Houston Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Platte County, Wisconsin.
Both Houston Lake and Waukomis Lake 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. Waukomis Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Houston 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 — Waukomis 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?
Houston Lake
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility.
Waukomis Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Houston Lake | Waukomis Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1.1 ft | 4.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 176 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 35.8 µg/L | 7.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 19 acres | 82 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Waukomis Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Houston Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.7 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Waukomis Lake also leads with 0 species.