Lake Springfield vs Palmyra-Modesto Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Palmyra-Modesto Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lake Springfield (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Lake Springfield and Palmyra-Modesto Lake sit in Illinois. 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Palmyra-Modesto Lake grades a C while Lake Springfield grades a F. 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 — Palmyra-Modesto 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 Springfield
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility.
Palmyra-Modesto Lake
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Springfield | Palmyra-Modesto Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 1.5 ft | No data |
| Phosphorus | No data | 56 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 4.2K acres | 37 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Palmyra-Modesto Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Lake Springfield's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Palmyra-Modesto Lake also leads with 0 species.