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LakeQuality

Rothwell Lake vs Sugar Creek Lake

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

Rothwell Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Sugar Creek Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Randolph County, Wisconsin.

Both Rothwell Lake and Sugar Creek 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. The grades are close: Rothwell Lake (C) and Sugar Creek Lake (D) 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.

C

Rothwell Lake

Randolph County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft.

D

Sugar Creek Lake

Randolph County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.

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.

MetricRothwell LakeSugar Creek Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)D (Poor)
Water Clarity3.6 ft2.5 ft
Phosphorus32 µg/L45 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)14.2 µg/L22.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area26 acres323 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Rothwell Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Sugar Creek Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 3.6 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Rothwell Lake also leads with 0 species.