Bass Lake

Bass Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 39 puts Bass Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake bottoms out at 35 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 187 acres, Bass Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Bass Lake ranks 23 of 47 in Washburn County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Banded Mystery Snail — has been logged at Bass Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Walleye are documented at Bass Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Bass Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.