Bass Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Bass Lake pulls an A: clarity at 36.9 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI value of 25 puts Bass Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Bass Lake is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 65 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 40 acres, Bass Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Bass Lake ranks 1 of 22 in Marinette County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Bass Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Chinese Mystery Snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.