Wolf Lake

Wolf Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI near 45 places Wolf Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Wolf Lake reaches 17 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 22 acres, Wolf Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Portage County's 28 graded lakes, Wolf Lake ranks 19 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Wolf Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Walleye are documented at Wolf Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Wolf Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.