Fox Lake

On the scoring rubric Fox Lake grades a D: clarity at 5.7 ft and 106 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Dodge County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. A maximum depth of 19 ft puts Fox Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. With 2,713 acres of surface and partial shoreline records, Fox Lake is a large water by Wisconsin standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Within Dodge County's 3 graded lakes, Fox Lake ranks 2 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Fox 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 5 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.