Rush Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Rush Lake at a C: clarity at 3.2 ft, 26 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 56 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Wisconsin norms.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At only 5 ft deep, Rush Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Rush Lake covers 2,729 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 5 graded lakes in Winnebago County, Rush Lake ranks 1 — in the top quartile locally.

An invasive species record — Curly-Leaf Pondweed — has been logged at Rush Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. 2 fish species are documented at Rush Lake, a mixed warm-water community typical for Wisconsin lakes of this size. 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.