Lost Grove Lake vs Railroad Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Railroad Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Lost Grove Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Scott County, Wisconsin.
Lost Grove Lake and Railroad 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 close: Lost Grove Lake (C) and Railroad Lake (C) 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.
Lost Grove Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Railroad Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lost Grove Lake | Railroad Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 3.9 ft | 5.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 15.8 µg/L | 8.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 350 acres | 29 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
Railroad Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Lost Grove Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.1 ft vs 3.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Railroad Lake also leads with 0 species.