Elk Lake

On the scoring rubric Elk Lake grades a D: clarity at 3.6 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Price County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake bottoms out at 25 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 87 acres, Elk Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Price County's 27 graded lakes, Elk Lake ranks 19 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Elk Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Elk Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. 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.