Pike Lake

Pike Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Wisconsin average. 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 17 ft puts Pike Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake's 741 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. Among the 27 graded lakes in Price County, Pike Lake sits at rank 13, above the county median.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Pike Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Walleye are documented at Pike Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. 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.