Papoose Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Papoose Lake pulls an A: clarity at 15.0 ft and 10 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. Papoose Lake is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 65 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. The lake's 422 acres and partial shoreline records put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Vilas County's 191 graded waters, Papoose Lake sits at rank 7, near the top of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Rusty Crayfish — has been logged at Papoose Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Papoose 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.