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LakeQuality

Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 vs Spring Fork Lake

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

Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Spring Fork Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 and Spring Fork 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. Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 (C) is materially cleaner than Spring Fork 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 — Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 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?

C

Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2

Johnson County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.

F

Spring Fork Lake

Pettis County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 1.4 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricKnob Noster S.P. Lake 2Spring Fork Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)F (Very Poor)
Water Clarity3.9 ft1.4 ft
Phosphorus29 µg/L160 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)10.6 µg/L48.6 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area16 acres128 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophichypereutrophic

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

Verdict

Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Spring Fork Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.9 ft vs 1.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Knob Noster S.P. Lake 2 also leads with 0 species.