Sams Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Sams Lake pulls an A: clarity at 36.1 ft and 18 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Sams Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. At 6 acres, Sams Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Sams Lake ranks 12 of 27 in Shawano County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Sams Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery is bass-led, with 2 documented species across the lake's records. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.