Smithville Lake by Dam vs Watkins Mill Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Watkins Mill Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Smithville Lake by Dam (D, Poor). Both are in Clay County, Wisconsin.
Smithville Lake by Dam and Watkins Mill 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 — Smithville Lake by Dam (D) versus Watkins Mill 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.
Smithville Lake by Dam
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Watkins Mill Lake
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Smithville Lake by Dam | Watkins Mill Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.3 ft | 3.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 37 µg/L | 41 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.3 µg/L | 18.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 7.2K acres | 100 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
Watkins Mill Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Smithville Lake by Dam's Grade D. Water clarity: 3.2 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Watkins Mill Lake also leads with 0 species.