Upper Backwater Lake

Upper Backwater Lake earns a D — measurements through 2023 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. Upper Backwater Lake reaches 19 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake is compact at 24 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within the 3 graded lakes of Jackson County, Upper Backwater Lake sits at rank 3, near the bottom of the county list.

Upper Backwater Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 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.