Chippewa Flowage Lake

Chippewa Flowage Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Chippewa Flowage Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake's 92 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 14,593 acres, Chippewa Flowage Lake is one of the larger lakes in Sawyer County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within Sawyer County's 52 graded lakes, Chippewa Flowage Lake ranks 39 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Chippewa Flowage Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Chippewa Flowage Lake, one of 8 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Chippewa Flowage Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from the Wisconsin DNR Citizen Lake Monitoring Network, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.