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LakeQuality

Lake Capri vs Sunnen Lake

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

Lake Capri has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Sunnen Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Both Lake Capri and Sunnen 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. Lake Capri (A) is materially cleaner than Sunnen Lake (D). 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 — Lake Capri 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?

A

Lake Capri

St. Francois County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 16.3 ft down.

D

Sunnen Lake

Washington County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 1 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.

MetricLake CapriSunnen Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)D (Poor)
Water Clarity16.3 ft1 ft
Phosphorus5.7 µg/L61 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)0.9 µg/L14.3 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area112 acres198 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateoligotrophiceutrophic

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

Verdict

Lake Capri wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Sunnen Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16.3 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Capri also leads with 0 species.