Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J vs Perry City Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Perry City Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Ralls County, Wisconsin.
Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J and Perry City Lake are both in Missouri — 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: Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J grades a C while Perry City Lake grades a F. 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 — Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J 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?
Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft.
Perry City Lake
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J | Perry City Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.7 ft | No data |
| Phosphorus | 33.6 µg/L | 240 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.6 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 5.9K acres | 16 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
Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Perry City Lake's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Mark Twain Lake by Hwy J also leads with 0 species.