Smithville Lake by Dam vs Waukomis Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Waukomis Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Smithville Lake by Dam (D, Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Smithville Lake by Dam and Waukomis 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Smithville Lake by Dam (D) versus Waukomis Lake (C). 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.
Waukomis Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Smithville Lake by Dam | Waukomis Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 3.3 ft | 4.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 37 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.3 µg/L | 7.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 7.2K acres | 82 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
Waukomis Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Smithville Lake by Dam's Grade D. Water clarity: 4.7 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Waukomis Lake also leads with 0 species.