Kathan Lake

Kathan Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. 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 214 acres, Kathan Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within Oneida County's 134 graded lakes, Kathan Lake ranks 95 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Kathan Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Walleye are documented at Kathan Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.