Kangaroo Lake

Kangaroo Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Wisconsin norms.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of just 12 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. With 1,156 acres of surface and partial shoreline records, Kangaroo Lake is a large water by Wisconsin standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Kangaroo Lake ranks 5 of 11 in Door County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Kangaroo Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. 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.