Pleasant Lake

Pleasant Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Waushara 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.

Trophically, Pleasant Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. Pleasant Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 120 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. Within Waushara County's 30 graded waters, Pleasant Lake sits at rank 6, near the top of the local distribution.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Pleasant Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. 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.