Little River Lake vs Slipbluff Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Slipbluff Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Little River Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Decatur County, Wisconsin.
Little River Lake and Slipbluff 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. Slipbluff Lake (B) 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 — Slipbluff 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.
Slipbluff Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little River Lake | Slipbluff Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 2.3 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 70 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 787 acres | 18 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
Slipbluff Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Little River Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 2.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Slipbluff Lake also leads with 0 species.