Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes vs Sunnen Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Sunnen Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes and Sunnen Lake 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. Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes (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 Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes 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 Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes
Good clarity, visible to about 11.1 ft.
Sunnen Lake
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes | Sunnen Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 11.1 ft | 1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 5 µg/L | 61 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.2 µg/L | 14.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 51 acres | 198 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Sunnen Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11.1 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes also leads with 0 species.