Klaus Lake

Klaus Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

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. Klaus Lake is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 50 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. Klaus Lake is small — 22 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Klaus Lake ranks 61 of 62 in Oconto County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Klaus Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2020, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Klaus Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.