Little River Lake vs Nine Eagles Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Nine Eagles Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Little River Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Decatur County, Wisconsin.
Little River Lake and Nine Eagles Lake are both in Iowa — 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. Nine Eagles Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Little River Lake (F). 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 — Nine Eagles 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?
Little River Lake
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility.
Nine Eagles Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little River Lake | Nine Eagles Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 2.3 ft | 11 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 70 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 787 acres | 59 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
Nine Eagles Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Little River Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 2.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Nine Eagles Lake also leads with 0 species.