Clinton County Lake Quality

There are 18 monitored lakes in Clinton County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 1 of those lake carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Clinton County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Main Section Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.