Ludington Lake-Deep Hole

On the LakeGrade rubric, Ludington Lake-Deep Hole pulls an A: clarity at 31.8 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Ludington Lake-Deep Hole reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. 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. Ludington Lake-Deep Hole is small — 29 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Ludington Lake-Deep Hole sits at rank 18 of 35 in Forest County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ludington Lake-Deep Hole — 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. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.