Barber Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Barber Lake pulls an A: clarity at 10.3 ft and 14 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

A TSI near 43 places Barber Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. A maximum depth of 21 ft puts Barber Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Barber Lake covers 138 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Barber Lake ranks 21 of 50 in Sawyer County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Barber Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 5 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.