Lake Maxinkuckee vs Lake of the Wood
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Maxinkuckee has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake of the Wood (D, Nutrient-rich). Both are in Marshall County, Indiana.
Both Lake Maxinkuckee and Lake of the Wood sit in Indiana. 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 Maxinkuckee (A) is materially cleaner than Lake of the Wood (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 Maxinkuckee 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 Maxinkuckee
No clarity data.
Lake of the Wood
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Maxinkuckee | Lake of the Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) Better | D (Nutrient-rich) |
| Water Clarity | No data | No data |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L Better | 41 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L Better | 17 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 1,910 acres | 421 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Verdict
Lake Maxinkuckee wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lake of the Wood's Grade D. For fishing diversity, Lake Maxinkuckee also leads with 0 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.