Pensaukee Lake

Pensaukee Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Shawano County. 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 24 puts Pensaukee Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake bottoms out at 49 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Pensaukee Lake covers 109 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Shawano County's 27 graded waters, Pensaukee Lake sits at rank 6, near the top of the local distribution.

Pensaukee Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Pensaukee 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.