Fence Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Fence Lake pulls an A: clarity at 15.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. 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.

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 86 ft of maximum depth, Fence Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 3,483 acres, Fence Lake is one of the larger lakes in Vilas County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within Vilas County's 191 graded waters, Fence Lake sits at rank 33, near the top of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Banded Mystery Snail — has been logged at Fence Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Walleye are documented at Fence Lake, one of 7 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.