Pickerel Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Pickerel Lake at a C: clarity at 8.5 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 46 signal an intermediate trophic state. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI near 46 places Pickerel Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake bottoms out at 31 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. The lake is compact at 32 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Pickerel Lake sits at rank 19 of 35 in Walworth County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Pickerel Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.