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LakeQuality

Nagawicka Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #29 of 35 lakes in the county · 9.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 981 acres
Mesotrophic

Nagawicka Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 90 ft. Surface area: 981 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Nagawicka Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity
9.5 ft
Max depth
90 ft
Area
981 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

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Nagawicka Lake is a 981-acre mesotrophic lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 90 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Waukesha County, Nagawicka Lake ranks #29 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-29. 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 Milwaukee

Get alerts for Nagawicka Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 13.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)9.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus13.5 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)43Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Nagawicka Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nagawicka Lake in Waukesha 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 Nagawicka Lake

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

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Nagawicka Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Nagawicka Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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. 7 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Reported
Trophic State Index 46 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Largemouth Bass(Common)Panfish(Present)Smallmouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)Walleye(Present)

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth90 ft
Surface Area981 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
115 sq mi
Shoreline
7.8 mi
Elevation
886 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Pewaukee LakePublic
  • Nagawicka LakePublic

Named access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, snapped within 5 km. More lakes with boat ramps

Fish Species

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

Fishing Nagawicka 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 SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-MilfoilHybrid Eurasian / Northern Water-MilfoilPurple LoosestrifeZebra Mussel

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+1.016 m/yr6
Phosphorus Stable-0.07 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Nagawicka Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Delafield Fish Hatchery (completed 1936), built primarily for other on the BARK; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 140 ft long.

Surface area
917 ac
Normal storage
6,000 ac-ft
Max storage
917 ac-ft
Drainage area
46 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
CITY OF DELAFIELD

All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00683 · Operator website

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Nagawicka Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.

  • Medline Industries, Inc.
    Hartland, Village Of · 1.5 mi away · NPDES WI0065943

Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.

County Ranking

Ranked #29 of 35 lakes in Waukesha County

Nearby Lakes in Waukesha County

Frequently asked questions about Nagawicka Lake

Where is Nagawicka Lake?

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

What is the water quality grade for Nagawicka Lake?

Nagawicka Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 90 ft. Surface area: 981 acres.

Is Nagawicka Lake safe to swim in?

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

How deep is Nagawicka Lake?

Nagawicka Lake has a maximum depth of 90 feet. The lake covers 981 acres.

What fish are in Nagawicka Lake?

Fish species found in Nagawicka Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Nagawicka Lake is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Nagawicka Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Nagawicka Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Nagawicka Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Are there boat ramps on Nagawicka Lake?

Nagawicka Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pewaukee Lake, Nagawicka Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX46 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

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

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory