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LakeQuality
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Banded Mystery Snail

Invasive speciesRecorded in 341 lakes

Banded Mystery Snail appears on state infested-waters lists for 341 surface waters. Boaters and anglers moving gear in or out of those lakes carry a clean-drain-dry obligation under state law. A 341-lake footprint means Banded Mystery Snail prevention has shifted from "stop the spread" to "manage the new normal." Watercraft-inspection programs at boat launches and shoreline-management practices on individual lakes are doing most of the active prevention work.

The presence of Banded Mystery Snail does not change a lake's clarity, phosphorus or algae readings, which measure the water itself, not the species living in it. Invasive presence is still worth reading alongside those numbers.

341
Lakes with records
341
Wisconsin

Lakes with Banded Mystery Snail

LakeCountyStateDepth
Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West BendWashingtonWI105 ft
Geneva LakeWalworthWI135 ft
Powers LakeKenoshaWI33 ft
Lac Courte Oreilles LakeSawyerWI90 ft
Whitefish LakeSawyerWI105 ft
Round LakeSawyerWI74 ft
Sand LakeSawyerWI50 ft
Blueberry LakeSawyerWI29 ft
Grindstone LakeSawyerWI60 ft
Green LakeWashingtonWI37 ft
Boulder LakeVilasWI23 ft
Boulder LakeOcontoWI11 ft
Lake NoquebayMarinetteWI51 ft
Spider LakeSawyerWI64 ft
Spider LakeVilasWI43 ft
Pickerel LakeForestWI19 ft
Pickerel LakeOcontoWI10 ft
Silver LakeWaukeshaWI40 ft
Silver LakeWausharaWI56 ft
Silver LakeWausharaWI50 ft
Silver LakeVilasWI19 ft
Silver LakeForestWI20 ft
Plum LakeVilasWI57 ft
Round LakeShawanoWI39 ft
Cedar LakeManitowocWI21 ft
Mirror LakeWaupacaWI43 ft
Deep LakeAdamsWI49 ft
Beasley LakeWaupacaWI47 ft
Bass LakeOcontoWI40 ft
Kusel LakeWausharaWI29 ft
Clear LakeSawyerWI32 ft
Explosion LakeOcontoWI10 ft
Berry LakeOcontoWI27 ft
Pioneer LakeVilasWI27 ft
Rice LakeIronWI21 ft
Bone LakePolkWI43 ft
Marl LakeWausharaWI35 ft
Marl LakeWaupacaWI59 ft
Lake LucerneForestWI73 ft
Oxbow LakeVilasWI44 ft
Bear LakeBarronWI87 ft
Bear LakeWaupacaWI62 ft
Bear LakeOcontoWI20 ft
Long LakeWaupacaWI76 ft
Long LakeBurnettWI41 ft
Long LakeFond du LacWI47 ft
Long LakeWausharaWI71 ft
Long LakeChippewaWI101 ft
Crooked LakeAdamsWI56 ft
Crooked LakeOcontoWI37 ft

Showing 50 of 341 lakes with a record.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have banded mystery snail?

Banded Mystery Snail is recorded in 341 measured lakes: 341 in Wisconsin. 341 of them carry a state infested-waters listing or an established population.

Does banded mystery snail affect water quality?

An established invasive population can change how a lake works — altering nutrient cycling, displacing native species, and shifting water clarity. Clarity is the one to watch: filter-feeders can make water read clearer on a Secchi disk without any drop in nutrient loading, so a lake with banded mystery snail is worth reading alongside its clarity number rather than through it.

Invasives Found With Banded Mystery Snail

Chinese Mystery Snail

Co-occurs in 184 lakes · 469 total

Curly-Leaf Pondweed

Co-occurs in 166 lakes · 387 total

Rusty Crayfish

Co-occurs in 111 lakes · 233 total

Purple Loosestrife

Co-occurs in 95 lakes · 242 total

Zebra Mussel

Co-occurs in 73 lakes · 609 total

Starry Stonewort

Co-occurs in 12 lakes · 79 total

More on invasive species and lake health

Zebra Mussel Spread: How Many Lakes Are Affected?

Zebra mussel counts from the lakes LakeQuality tracks, the counties that show up most often, and the Clean, Drain, Dry rules that still matter.

Lake Water Quality Explained: What the Readings Mean

How nutrient and algae readings are read against EPA ecoregion condition classes, what each class means in the water, and why a clean reading is not a clearance.

What to Check Before Buying Lakefront Property

Before you buy lakefront, check the water: clarity trend, nutrient impairment, algae advisories, invasive species, and depth — a data-backed checklist.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.