Elkhart Lake

Elkhart Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Sheboygan County. 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 34 puts Elkhart Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. At 119 ft of maximum depth, Elkhart Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 292 acres, Elkhart Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within Sheboygan County's 6 graded lakes, Elkhart Lake ranks 4 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Elkhart Lake is on the Wisconsin infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 7 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. 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.