Lake Wapello vs Rathbun Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Wapello has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Rathbun Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Lake Wapello and Rathbun Lake sit in Iowa. 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 close: Lake Wapello (C) and Rathbun Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Lake Wapello
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Rathbun Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Wapello | Rathbun Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 7.5 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13 µg/L | 15.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 287 acres | 11.0K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Wapello wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Rathbun Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 7.5 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Wapello also leads with 0 species.