Potato Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Potato Lake grades a B, with clarity at 9.5 ft and 27 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Potato Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Potato Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 224 acres, Potato Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Potato Lake sits at rank 34 of 47 in Washburn County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Potato Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. 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.