Manito Lake by Dam vs Spring Fork Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Manito Lake by Dam has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Spring Fork Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Manito Lake by Dam and Spring Fork Lake sit in Missouri. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Manito Lake by Dam (D) versus Spring Fork Lake (F). 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.
Manito Lake by Dam
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Spring Fork Lake
Very murky, less than 1.4 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Manito Lake by Dam | Spring Fork Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 1.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 62 µg/L | 160 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.5 µg/L | 48.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 77 acres | 128 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Manito Lake by Dam wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Spring Fork Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 2.5 ft vs 1.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Manito Lake by Dam also leads with 0 species.