Eagle Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Eagle Lake pulls an A: clarity at 17.0 ft and 14 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. At 52 ft of maximum depth, Eagle Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 163 acres, Eagle Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Among the 52 graded lakes in Bayfield County, Eagle Lake ranks 3 — in the top quartile locally.

Eagle Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Walleye are documented at Eagle Lake, one of 6 fish species on record for the lake. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.