Oxbow Lake

Oxbow Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of 44 ft puts Oxbow Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Oxbow Lake covers 523 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Among the 191 graded lakes in Vilas County, Oxbow Lake sits at rank 83, above the county median.

Oxbow Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Banded 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 Oxbow 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.