Lacey Keosauqua Lake vs Lake Sugema
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lacey Keosauqua Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Sugema (F, Very Poor). Both are in Van Buren County, Wisconsin.
Lacey Keosauqua Lake and Lake Sugema are both in Iowa — 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. Lacey Keosauqua Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Lake Sugema (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 — Lacey Keosauqua 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?
Lacey Keosauqua Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.1 ft.
Lake Sugema
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lacey Keosauqua Lake | Lake Sugema |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 7.1 ft | 2.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.7 µg/L | 32.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 23 acres | 574 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lacey Keosauqua Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Sugema's Grade F. Water clarity: 7.1 ft vs 2.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Lacey Keosauqua Lake also leads with 0 species.