Sunset Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Sunset Lake pulls an A: clarity at 41.0 ft and 12 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Sunset Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake's 55 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake is compact at 63 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Among the 29 graded lakes in Portage County, Sunset Lake ranks 1 — in the top quartile locally.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Sunset Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. A documented public access point at Sunset Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.