Snipe Lake

Snipe Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Snipe Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Snipe Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 216 acres, Snipe Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Among the 191 graded lakes in Vilas County, Snipe Lake sits at rank 66, above the county median.

Snipe Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Chinese Mystery Snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Snipe Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Snipe Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.