South Harper Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts South Harper Lake at a C: clarity at 6.8 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 50 signal an intermediate trophic state. 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 South Harper Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. A maximum depth of 32 ft puts South Harper Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. At 72 acres, South Harper Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Among the 6 graded lakes in Taylor County, South Harper Lake sits at rank 3, above the county median.

South Harper 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. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. 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.