Shadow Lake

Shadow Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of just 7 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. The lake is compact at 24 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within the 62 graded lakes of Oconto County, Shadow Lake sits at rank 47, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Shadow Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. 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.