Namekagon Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Namekagon Lake pulls an A: clarity readings still being added and 12 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.

A TSI value of 40 puts Namekagon Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. A maximum depth of 23 ft puts Namekagon Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Namekagon Lake covers 558 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 55 graded lakes of Bayfield County, Namekagon Lake sits at rank 43, near the bottom of the county list.

Namekagon Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Chinese Mystery Snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Namekagon Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.