Boot Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Boot Lake grades a B, with clarity readings still being added and 24 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 50, Boot Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 19 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Boot Lake is small — 31 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Boot Lake ranks 174 of 202 in Vilas County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Boot Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.