Bass Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Bass Lake grades a B, with clarity at 6.0 ft and 16 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Wisconsin norms.

A TSI near 48 places Bass Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Bass Lake is a shallow lake at 11 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. Bass Lake is small — 13 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Bass Lake sits at rank 46 of 62 in Oconto County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Bass Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.