Ludden Lake

Ludden Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Wisconsin. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. At only 14 ft deep, Ludden Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Ludden Lake is small — 56 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Within the 6 graded lakes of Iowa County, Ludden Lake sits at rank 6, near the bottom of the county list.

An invasive species record — Curly-Leaf Pondweed — has been logged at Ludden Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.