Bush Lake

Bush Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Florence County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. A maximum depth of 18 ft puts Bush Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 47 acres, Bush Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within the 39 graded lakes of Florence County, Bush Lake sits at rank 37, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Bush 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. 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.