Lake Puckaway

Lake Puckaway sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. At only 5 ft deep, Lake Puckaway is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. At 5,013 acres, Lake Puckaway is one of the larger lakes in Green Lake County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within Green Lake County's 13 graded lakes, Lake Puckaway ranks 9 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Zebra mussel presence at Lake Puckaway 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 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Lake Puckaway 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.