Upper Kaubashine Lake

Upper Kaubashine Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 29 puts Upper Kaubashine Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 56 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Upper Kaubashine Lake covers 181 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Oneida County's 140 graded waters, Upper Kaubashine Lake sits at rank 10, near the top of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Upper Kaubashine Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. 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.