Day Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Day Lake pulls an A: clarity readings still being added and 10 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 38 puts Day Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 57 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 110 acres, Day Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within Vilas County's 202 graded lakes, Day Lake ranks 150 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Day Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 2, 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.