White Potato Lake

White Potato Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at White Potato Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. A maximum depth of just 11 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. With 1,023 acres of surface and partial shoreline records, White Potato Lake is a large water by Wisconsin standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. White Potato Lake ranks 48 of 62 in Oconto County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

White Potato Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. 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. 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.