Rice Lake

Rice Lake earns an F: phosphorus readings still being added and clarity at 1.5 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 71 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. At only 3 ft deep, Rice Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake's 122 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. Rice Lake ranks 127 of 134 in Oneida County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Rice Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2020, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. 1 fish species are documented at Rice Lake, a mixed warm-water community typical for Wisconsin lakes of this size. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.