Salmo Pond

The LakeGrade rubric puts Salmo Pond at a C: clarity at 9.2 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 45 signal an intermediate trophic state.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Salmo Pond: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. A maximum depth of 15 ft puts Salmo Pond in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 3 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Salmo Pond ranks 1 of 21 in Dane County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Salmo Pond carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. 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.