Lake Paho vs Slipbluff Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Slipbluff Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Paho (D, Poor).
This comparison crosses state lines: Lake Paho in Missouri versus Slipbluff Lake in Iowa. The LakeGrade rubric is uniform across both, but the underlying monitoring programs differ in subtle ways worth noting. The grades are meaningfully apart: Slipbluff Lake 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 — Slipbluff 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 Paho
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility.
Slipbluff Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Paho | Slipbluff Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 2.2 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 37 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 48.2 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 269.1 acres | 18 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
Slipbluff Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Paho's Grade D. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 2.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Slipbluff Lake also leads with 0 species.