Emma Lake

On the scoring rubric Emma Lake grades a D: clarity at 5.7 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Oneida 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.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 17 ft puts Emma Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Emma Lake covers 227 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Emma Lake ranks 105 of 134 in Oneida County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Emma Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2025, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Emma 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.