Lake Metonga

On the LakeGrade rubric, Lake Metonga pulls an A: clarity at 72.2 ft and 14 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake's 79 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. With 2,038 acres of surface and partial shoreline records, Lake Metonga is a large water by Wisconsin standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Among the 35 graded lakes in Forest County, Lake Metonga sits at rank 12, above the county median.

Zebra mussel presence at Lake Metonga 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. A documented public access point at Lake Metonga makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.