Patrick Lake

Patrick 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.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 21 ft puts Patrick Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Patrick Lake is small — 39 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Patrick Lake sits at rank 12 of 19 in Adams County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Patrick Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. A documented public access point at Patrick 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.