Ashland County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 7 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Ashland County has 7 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-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
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. Lake Galilee (B) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Ashland County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Galilee, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
Fishing in Ashland County
DNR Reports (6)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Ashland County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2024Beaver Lake late spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024English Lake shocking and netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Lake Moquah shocking and netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Potter Lake shocking and netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Spider Lake shocking and netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Spillerberg Lake shocking and netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
All Lakes in Ashland County
7 lakes · 3 graded, 4 not rated3 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLake GalileeAshland | B | 9.3 ft | 16.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 23 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BTea LakeAshland | B | No recent samples | 18.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 48 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | CMineral LakeAshland | C | 4.1 ft | 28.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 29 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRAugustine LakeAshland | NR | 4 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRGates LakeAshland | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 17 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRMeder LakeAshland | NR | 3.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRNc Cheq Bay LakeAshland | NR | No recent samples | 8.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
See how Ashland County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.