Moss Lake

Moss 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 27 puts Moss Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Moss Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Moss Lake covers 185 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Moss Lake ranks 65 of 202 in Vilas County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Purple Loosestrife — has been logged at Moss Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 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.