Cooley Lake

Cooley Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. High phosphorus is the leading drag on the score — likely from upland agriculture, lawn runoff, or in-lake sediment release.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Cooley Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Cooley Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake is compact at 62 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Cooley Lake ranks 58 of 66 in Oconto County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Cooley Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The lake's fish records list 2 species — a varied community without one dominant gamefish. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.