Friendship Lake

Friendship Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

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. The lake bottoms out at 15 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 125 acres, Friendship Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within the 19 graded lakes of Adams County, Friendship Lake sits at rank 18, near the bottom of the county list.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Friendship Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.