Three Mile Lake vs Twelve Mile Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Three Mile Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Twelve Mile Lake. Both are in Union County, Iowa.
Three Mile Lake and Twelve Mile Lake are both in Iowa — 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Three Mile Lake versus Twelve Mile Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Three Mile Lake
Very murky, less than 2.7 ft of visibility.
Twelve Mile Lake
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Three Mile Lake | Twelve Mile Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 2.7 ft Better | 2.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 43 µg/L Better | 79 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 28.4 µg/L Better | 45 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 880 acres | 633 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Verdict
Three Mile Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Twelve Mile Lake. Water clarity: 2.7 ft vs 2.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Three Mile Lake also leads with 0 species.
Stays via Stay22
Where to stay near Three Mile Lake and Twelve Mile Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Three Mile Lake and Twelve Mile Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.