Lake Paho vs North Bethany City Reservoir
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
North Bethany City Reservoir has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Paho (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Lake Paho and North Bethany City Reservoir are both in Missouri — 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: North Bethany City Reservoir grades a B while Lake Paho grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — North Bethany City Reservoir 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 Paho
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
North Bethany City Reservoir
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Paho | North Bethany City Reservoir |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 2.2 ft | 10.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 37 µg/L | 11 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 48.2 µg/L | 6.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 269.1 acres | 76 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
North Bethany City Reservoir wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Paho's Grade D. Water clarity: 10.5 ft vs 2.2 ft. For fishing diversity, North Bethany City Reservoir also leads with 0 species.