Deer Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Deer Lake grades a B, with clarity at 13.1 ft and 26 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. 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.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Deer Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 20 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 188 acres, Deer Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Deer Lake sits at rank 104 of 140 in Oneida County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Deer Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.