Pigeon Lake

Pigeon Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. 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. Pigeon Lake is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 62 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. The lake is compact at 80 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Among the 19 graded lakes in Manitowoc County, Pigeon Lake sits at rank 6, above the county median.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Pigeon Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. Walleye are documented at Pigeon Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Pigeon 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.