St. Joseph County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 13 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
St. Joseph County has 13 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Corey Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for St. Joseph County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Corey Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
All Lakes in St. Joseph County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Max Depth | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corey Lake | A | 16 ft | - | - |
| 2 | Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township | A | 16 ft | - | - |
| 3 | Klinger Lake Central Basin; White Pigeon Township Section 1 | A | 11.5 ft | - | - |
| 4 | Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township | A | 10.5 ft | - | - |
| 5 | Fishers Lake | B | 10.5 ft | - | - |
| 6 | Klinger Lake | C | 9.5 ft | - | - |
| 7 | Templene Lake Central Basin; Sherman Township | C | 6 ft | - | - |
| 8 | Portage Lake | D | 4.5 ft | - | - |
| 9 | Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township | D | 5 ft | - | - |
| 10 | Lake Templene | D | 6.5 ft | - | - |
| 11 | Palmer Lake Central Basin; Colon Township | D | 2 ft | - | - |
| 12 | Palmer Lake | F | 3 ft | - | - |
| 13 | Sturgeon Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Colon Township | F | 3 ft | - | - |
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.