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.
Rothwell Lake and Sugar Creek 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Rothwell Lake (C) versus Sugar Creek Lake (D). 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.
Rothwell Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft.
Sugar Creek Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Rothwell Lake | Sugar Creek Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.6 ft | 2.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 50.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.2 µg/L | 19.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 26 acres | 323 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
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.