Okauchee Lake Site

Okauchee Lake Site carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. Okauchee Lake Site is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 90 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. Okauchee Lake Site covers 1,210 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Okauchee Lake Site ranks 35 of 45 in Waukesha County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Okauchee Lake Site, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Okauchee Lake Site 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.