Tichigan Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Tichigan Lake at a C: clarity at 5.5 ft, 28 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 52 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Wisconsin norms.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. At 63 ft of maximum depth, Tichigan Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 279 acres, Tichigan Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Tichigan Lake ranks 3 of 7 in Racine County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Tichigan Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 7 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. 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.