Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Forest County. 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, Lake Lucerne reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake's 73 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 1,039 acres, Lake Lucerne is one of the larger lakes in Forest County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Among the 35 graded lakes in Forest County, Lake Lucerne ranks 6 — in the top quartile locally.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Lake Lucerne, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. 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.