Waubeesee Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Waubeesee Lake at a C: clarity at 9.7 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 44 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Waubeesee Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake's 73 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 139 acres, Waubeesee Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Waubeesee Lake sits at rank 4 of 7 in Racine County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Waubeesee Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 4 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.