Lower Clam Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Lower Clam Lake at a C: clarity at 5.5 ft, 30 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 53 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Wisconsin norms.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake bottoms out at 30 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. The lake's 214 acres and partial shoreline records put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Lower Clam Lake ranks 43 of 50 in Sawyer County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Lower Clam Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 5 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.