Buffalo Lake

Buffalo Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Wisconsin. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 69, Buffalo Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of just 8 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. Buffalo Lake covers 2,179 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Buffalo Lake ranks 13 of 13 in Marquette County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Buffalo Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Buffalo Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. 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.