Wilson Lake

Wilson Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

A TSI near 49 places Wilson Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Wilson Lake is a shallow lake at 12 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. The lake is compact at 75 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within the 32 graded lakes of Waushara County, Wilson Lake sits at rank 28, near the bottom of the county list.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Wilson Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery is bass-led, with 4 documented species across the lake's records. 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.