Tainter Lake

On the scoring rubric Tainter Lake grades a D: clarity at 3.7 ft and 124 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Dunn County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

At a TSI of 66, Tainter Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 37 ft puts Tainter Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Tainter Lake covers 1,605 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Tainter Lake ranks 1 of 3 in Dunn County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Tainter Lake is on the Wisconsin infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 5 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.