Bass Lake

Bass Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Bass Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. A maximum depth of 35 ft puts Bass Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 19 acres, Bass Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Waupaca County's 25 graded lakes, Bass Lake ranks 17 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

An invasive species record — Banded Mystery Snail — has been logged at Bass Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 4, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. 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.