Deer Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Deer Lake at a C: clarity at 7.5 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 48 signal an intermediate trophic state.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of 18 ft puts Deer Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 33 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within Iron County's 33 graded lakes, Deer Lake ranks 21 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Deer Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 2, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. 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.