Shawano Lake

Shawano Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. Secchi readings are the weakest of the scored parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

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. A maximum depth of 40 ft puts Shawano Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 6,215 acres, Shawano Lake is one of the larger lakes in Shawano County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within Shawano County's 27 graded lakes, Shawano Lake ranks 18 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Zebra mussel presence at Shawano Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Shawano Lake, one of 6 fish species on record for the lake. 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.