Lincoln Lake vs Whiteside Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lincoln Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Whiteside Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Lincoln County, Wisconsin.
Lincoln Lake and Whiteside 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Lincoln Lake (B) versus Whiteside Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Lincoln Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Whiteside Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lincoln Lake | Whiteside Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.7 ft | 3.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 12.7 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | 14.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 48 acres | 20 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lincoln Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Whiteside Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.7 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Lincoln Lake also leads with 0 species.