Lake Lime

Lake Lime sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 26 puts Lake Lime in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Lake Lime reaches 29 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Lake Lime is small — 45 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Lake Lime ranks 14 of 29 in Portage County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Lake Lime carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. 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.