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LakeQuality

Loch Ayr Lake vs Slipbluff Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Slipbluff Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Loch Ayr Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.

Loch Ayr 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Slipbluff Lake grades a B while Loch Ayr Lake grades a D. 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 — 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?

D

Loch Ayr Lake

Ringgold County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.

B

Slipbluff Lake

Decatur County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricLoch Ayr LakeSlipbluff Lake
Overall GradeD (Poor)B (Good)
Water Clarity2 ft9 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)29.7 µg/L4.5 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area78 acres18 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

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 Loch Ayr Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Slipbluff Lake also leads with 0 species.