The Clearest Lake in Every County

For each of 143 counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin, here is the single lake with the highest water clarity — measured by Secchi depth in feet. The clearest lakes have visibility exceeding 30 feet, while the murkiest county champions may only reach 3-4 feet.

Rank	County	State	Clearest Lake	Clarity	Grade
1	Vilas	WI	Adams Lake	328.1 ft	A
2	Goodhue	MN	Sturgeon Lake 2	134.5 ft	C
3	Rock	WI	Clear Lake	123 ft	A
4	Jackson	WI	Wazee Lake	105.8 ft	A
5	Douglas	WI	Bardon Lake	88.6 ft	A
6	Florence	WI	Sealion Lake	84 ft	A
7	Waukesha	WI	Pine Lake	82 ft	A
8	Oneida	WI	Crystal Lake	82 ft	A
9	Oconto	WI	Maiden Lake	80.4 ft	A
10	Marinette	WI	Lily Lake	78.7 ft	A
11	Bayfield	WI	Lake Owen	78.7 ft	A
12	Lincoln	WI	Clara Lake-Deep Hole	78.1 ft	A
13	Washburn	WI	Stone Lake	75.5 ft	A
14	Forest	WI	Lake Metonga	72.2 ft	A
15	Portage	WI	Fountain Lake	72.2 ft	A
16	Burnett	WI	Long Lake	68.9 ft	A
17	Polk	WI	Lower Pine Lake	68.9 ft	A
18	Sawyer	WI	Round Lake	68.2 ft	A
19	Waushara	WI	Pearl Lake	65.6 ft	A
20	Waupaca	WI	Beasley Lake	65.6 ft	A
21	Beltrami	MN	Squaw Smith Lake	65.6 ft	A
22	Sheboygan	WI	Crystal Lake	64.6 ft	A
23	Langlade	WI	Big Twin Lake	64 ft	A
24	Marquette	WI	White Lake	59.1 ft	A
25	Shawano	WI	Mission Lake	57.4 ft	A
26	Itasca	MN	Pokegama Lake	57.4 ft	A
27	Iron	WI	Hewitt Lake	55.8 ft	A
28	Adams	WI	Parker Lake	55.8 ft	A
29	Pine	MN	Sturgeon Lake	55 ft	A
30	Kenosha	WI	Paddock Lake	49.2 ft	A
31	Manitowoc	WI	Mi32 Lake	49.2 ft	A
32	Sauk	WI	Dutch Hollow Lake	49.2 ft	A
33	St. Louis	MN	St James Pit Lake	47.6 ft	A
34	Washington	MN	Big Carnelian Lake	46.8 ft	A
35	Cass	MN	Long Lake	46.6 ft	A
36	Fond du Lac	WI	Forest Lake	45.9 ft	A
37	Chippewa	WI	Two Island Lake	45.5 ft	A
38	Door	WI	Mi47 Lake	45.1 ft	A
39	Menominee	WI	La Motte Lake	44.7 ft	A
40	Rusk	WI	Clear Lake	44.3 ft	A
41	Walworth	WI	Pleasant Lake	44.3 ft	A
42	Barron	WI	Silver Lake	42.7 ft	A
43	Racine	WI	Mi17 Lake	39.7 ft	A
44	Washington	WI	Lake Five	39.4 ft	A
45	Clearwater	MN	Morrison Lake	39.4 ft	A
46	Jefferson	WI	Rock Lake	39.4 ft	A
47	Cook	MN	Chester Lake	39 ft	A
48	Price	WI	Cochran Lake	37.7 ft	A
49	Wood	WI	Nepco Lake	36.1 ft	A
50	Lake	MN	Divide Lake	33.2 ft	A
51	Brown	WI	Lily Lake	33.1 ft	A
52	Taylor	WI	Richter Lake	32.8 ft	A
53	St. Croix	WI	Bass Lake	31.2 ft	A
54	Columbia	WI	Silver Lake West Basin	30.3 ft	A
55	Dane	WI	Salmo Pond	30.2 ft	A
56	Vernon	WI	Sidie Hollow Lake	29.5 ft	A
57	Kewaunee	WI	East Alaska Lake	28.7 ft	A
58	Ashland	WI	Lake Galilee	27.9 ft	A
59	Dakota	MN	Holland Lake	27.9 ft	A
60	Otter Tail	MN	Kerbs Lake	27.7 ft	A
61	Milwaukee	WI	Lakeshore State Park Fish Shocking	26.2 ft	A
62	Mille Lacs	MN	Ml-Vineland Lake	25.6 ft	A
63	Aitkin	MN	Ml-Ce Lake	25.6 ft	B
64	Richland	WI	Cruson Slough Lake	25.1 ft	A
65	Crow Wing	MN	Serpent Lake	25 ft	A
66	Becker	MN	Bad Medicine Lake	25 ft	A
67	Ozaukee	WI	Sandhill Lake	24.6 ft	B
68	Hubbard	MN	Big Sand Lake	23 ft	A
69	Green Lake	WI	Big Twin Lake	23 ft	A
70	Iowa	WI	Kendal Lake	22.6 ft	B
71	Sherburne	MN	East Hunter Lake	22.1 ft	A
72	Wright	MN	West Sylvia Lake	22 ft	A
73	Unknown	MN	Ottertrack Lake	20.7 ft	A
74	Stearns	MN	Big Fish Lake	20.7 ft	A
75	Lafayette	WI	Hidden Valley Lake 1	20.5 ft	A
76	Douglas	MN	North Union Lake	20.3 ft	A
77	Carver	MN	Courthouse Lake	20 ft	A
78	Marathon	WI	Big Bass Lake	19.7 ft	A
79	Hennepin	MN	Little Long Lake	19 ft	A
80	Lake of the Woods	MN	Low: Mpca Co-Located Site Lake	18 ft	A
81	Morrison	MN	Alexander Lake	16.5 ft	A
82	Scott	MN	Krenz Lake	16.2 ft	A
83	Grant	WI	Jones Slough Lake	16.1 ft	B
84	Todd	MN	Mons Lake	15.4 ft	A
85	Carlton	MN	Sofie Lake	15.4 ft	A
86	Wadena	MN	Spirit Lake	15.4 ft	A
87	Kandiyohi	MN	George Lake	15 ft	A
88	Polk	MN	Union Lake	14.5 ft	A
89	Chisago	MN	Stauffer Lake	14.1 ft	A
90	Olmsted	MN	Bamber Lake	14.1 ft	A
91	Isanti	MN	Spectacle Lake	13.8 ft	A
92	Meeker	MN	Minnie-Belle Lake	13.5 ft	A
93	Mahnomen	MN	Bass Lake	13.1 ft	A
94	Ramsey	MN	Wabasso Lake	13 ft	B
95	Dunn	WI	Tainter Lake	12.3 ft	C
96	Le Sueur	MN	Fish Lake	11.8 ft	A
97	Dodge	WI	Lake Emily	11.5 ft	B
98	Anoka	MN	Netta Lake	11.3 ft	A
99	Pope	MN	Minnewaska Lake	11.2 ft	B
100	Eau Claire	WI	Fairchild Pond	10.8 ft	B
101	Winnebago	WI	Rush Lake	10.7 ft	B
102	Grant	MN	Elk Lake	10 ft	B
103	Steele	MN	Beaver Lake	9.5 ft	B
104	Calumet	WI	Chilton Millpond	9.5 ft	D
105	Lincoln	MN	Perch Lake	9.3 ft	C
106	Rice	MN	Dudley Lake	9 ft	C
107	Pierce	WI	St. Croix 8 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	8.9 ft	C
108	Juneau	WI	Petenwell Flowage Lake	7.8 ft	C
109	Koochiching	MN	Rainy Lake	7.5 ft	C
110	Kanabec	MN	Devil'S Lake	7.3 ft	C
111	Big Stone	MN	Unnamed Lake	6.9 ft	D
112	Green	WI	Beckman Lake	6.6 ft	D
113	Clark	WI	Mead Lake Nb Test Site	6.6 ft	D
114	McLeod	MN	Stahl'S Lake	6 ft	D
115	Waseca	MN	Reeds Lake	6 ft	D
116	Wabasha	MN	Robinson Lake	5.9 ft	D
117	Swift	MN	Camp Lake	5.7 ft	D
118	Freeborn	MN	State Line Lake	5.2 ft	D
119	Houston	MN	Target Lake	5.1 ft	D
120	Nicollet	MN	Unnamed Lake	5 ft	B
121	Yellow Medicine	MN	Del Clark Lake	5 ft	D
122	Renville	MN	Preston Lake	5 ft	F
123	Monroe	WI	Lake Tomah	4.9 ft	D
124	Jackson	MN	Fish Lake	4.5 ft	C
125	Crawford	WI	Unnamed Lake	4.1 ft	D
126	Cottonwood	MN	Bingham Lake	4 ft	D
127	Brown	MN	Wellner-Hageman Reservoir	3.7 ft	D
128	Blue Earth	MN	Madison Lake	3.6 ft	D
129	Stevens	MN	Hattie Lake	3.5 ft	D
130	Murray	MN	Sarah Lake	3.4 ft	D
131	Nobles	MN	Okabena Lake	3.3 ft	F
132	Watonwan	MN	Fedji Lake	3.1 ft	D
133	Martin	MN	South Silver Lake	3 ft	F
134	Pepin	MN	Pepin Lake	3 ft	F
135	Winona	MN	Winona Lake	2.6 ft	D
136	Clay	MN	Bjorndahl Lake	2.3 ft	F
137	Benton	MN	Little Rock Lake	2 ft	F
138	Lyon	MN	Island Lake	2 ft	F
139	Redwood	MN	Laura Lake	2 ft	F
140	Pepin	WI	Pepin Lake	1.6 ft	F
141	Pipestone	MN	Split Rock Reservoir	1.3 ft	F
142	La Crosse	WI	Neshonoc Lake	1.3 ft	F
143	Chippewa	MN	Shakopee Lake	1 ft	F