Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake at a C: clarity readings still being added, 34 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 55 signal an intermediate trophic state. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At 53 ft of maximum depth, Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 972 acres, Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within the 191 graded lakes of Vilas County, Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake sits at rank 161, near the bottom of the county list.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. Walleye are documented at Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake, one of 6 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake 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.