Lake Icaria vs Mormon Trail Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mormon Trail Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lake Icaria (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Lake Icaria and Mormon Trail Lake sit in Iowa. 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. Mormon Trail Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Lake Icaria (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 — Mormon Trail 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?
Lake Icaria
Very murky, less than 2.7 ft of visibility.
Mormon Trail Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Icaria | Mormon Trail Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 2.7 ft | 6.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 30.8 µg/L | 9.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 700 acres | 33 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mormon Trail Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Lake Icaria's Grade F. Water clarity: 6.2 ft vs 2.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Mormon Trail Lake also leads with 0 species.