Mission Lake

Mission Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 32 puts Mission Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. A maximum depth of 44 ft puts Mission Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 25 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Mission Lake ranks 13 of 27 in Shawano County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Mission Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. 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.