Myrtle Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Myrtle Lake pulls an A: clarity at 33.6 ft and 17 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

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. A maximum depth of 29 ft puts Myrtle Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 28 acres, Myrtle Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Myrtle Lake ranks 66 of 202 in Vilas County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Myrtle Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. 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.