Stone Lake

Stone Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. Stone Lake reaches 43 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 138 acres and partial shoreline records put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Stone Lake ranks 93 of 191 in Vilas County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Stone Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.