Pine Ridge Lake

Pine Ridge Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. 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.

Trophically, Pine Ridge Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake bottoms out at 30 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 37 acres, Pine Ridge Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Oconto County's 66 graded lakes, Pine Ridge Lake ranks 44 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Pine Ridge Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery is bass-led, with 2 documented species across the lake's records. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.