Mud Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Mud Lake pulls an A: clarity at 32.8 ft and 19 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for 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.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. Mud Lake covers 464 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Mud Lake ranks 13 of 52 in Sawyer County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Mud Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. Walleye are documented at Mud Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Mud Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.