Lake Waubesa

Lake Waubesa earns a D — measurements through 2025 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. Secchi readings are the weakest of the scored parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

At a TSI of 58, Lake Waubesa reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 38 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Lake Waubesa covers 2,074 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 21 graded lakes in Dane County, Lake Waubesa sits at rank 6, above the county median.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Lake Waubesa, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 7 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. 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.