Mariposa Lake vs Rock Creek Max Depth Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mariposa Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Rock Creek Max Depth Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Jasper County, Wisconsin.
Mariposa Lake and Rock Creek Max Depth 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. Mariposa Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Rock Creek Max Depth 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 — Mariposa 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?
Mariposa Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft.
Rock Creek Max Depth Lake
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mariposa Lake | Rock Creek Max Depth Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 5.1 ft | 1.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.9 µg/L | 107.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 18.7 acres | 640 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
Mariposa Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Rock Creek Max Depth Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 5.1 ft vs 1.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Mariposa Lake also leads with 0 species.