Hoerth Lake

Hoerth Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Wisconsin average. 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 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 23 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 7 acres, Hoerth Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within the 62 graded lakes of Oconto County, Hoerth Lake sits at rank 60, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Hoerth Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.