Yellow River Flowage Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Yellow River Flowage Lake grades a B, with clarity at 10.0 ft and 23 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 47 places Yellow River Flowage Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. A maximum depth of 17 ft puts Yellow River Flowage Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 85 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within Washburn County's 47 graded lakes, Yellow River Flowage Lake ranks 33 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Yellow River Flowage Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. 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. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.