Bass Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Bass Lake pulls an A: clarity at 50.9 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 21 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. Within Washburn County's 48 graded waters, Bass Lake sits at rank 7, near the top 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.