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LakeQuality

Archibald Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #11 of 39 lakes in the county · 17.8 ft clear · Oligotrophic · 392 acres · from A
Oligotrophic

Archibald Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 17.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 392 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Walleye as common on Archibald Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity
17.8 ft
Typical in August
77°F
Max depth
50 ft
Area
392 acres
Type
Oligotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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Archibald Lake is a 392-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Archibald Lake ranks #11 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-29. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Rhinelander

Get alerts for Archibald Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Crystal clear, you can see 17.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)17.8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus10.7 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay near Archibald Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Archibald Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Archibald Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

Water Temperature

Archibald Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
65°
Jun
69°
Jul
77°
Aug
77°
Sep
68°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (20242026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Archibald Lake water temperature breakdown →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Archibald Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (7,870 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Walleye as common on Archibald Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Archibald Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1986. 20 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Excellent · Deep Seepage lake
Trophic State Index 36 (oligotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Walleye(Common)Musky(Present)Panfish(Present)Largemouth Bass(Present)

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth50 ft
Surface Area392 acres
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Archibald Lake

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Banded Mystery SnailEurasian Water-MilfoilZebra MusselFlowering Rush

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+1.795 m/yr7
Phosphorus Declining+2.75 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #11 of 39 lakes in Oconto County

Nearby Lakes in Oconto County

Frequently asked questions about Archibald Lake

Where is Archibald Lake?

Archibald Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Archibald Lake?

Archibald Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 17.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 392 acres.

Is Archibald Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Archibald Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Archibald Lake?

Archibald Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Archibald Lake?

Archibald Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 392 acres.

What fish are in Archibald Lake?

Fish species found in Archibald Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye. Archibald Lake is located in Oconto County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Archibald Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Walleye as common on Archibald Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Archibald Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Does Archibald Lake have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Archibald Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (7,870 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

90 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX90 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes