Lester Lake

Lester Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Bayfield County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 39 puts Lester Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 50 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake is compact at 26 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Lester Lake ranks 48 of 55 in Bayfield County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Lester Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 2, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.