Island Lake

Island Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. 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.

Trophically, Island Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. A maximum depth of 44 ft puts Island Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 252 acres, Island Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Island Lake sits at rank 26 of 47 in Washburn County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Island Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Island Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.