Forest County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 34 lakes, average grade B (Good)
There are 34 graded lakes in Forest County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. With an average grade of B, Forest County sits comfortably above the Wisconsin median.
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. Mole Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Forest County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Mole Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
Fishing in Forest County
DNR Reports (14)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Forest County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2025Franklin Lake comprehensive survey, 2025Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2024Bishop Lake spring netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Himley Lake spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Robinson Lake spring netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2022Lily Lake fisheries summary, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Little Rice Flowage fisheries summary, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Roberts Lake fisheries summary, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2021Gordon Lake spring netting and shocking survey, 2021Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
- 2021Laura Lake spring netting and shocking survey, 2021Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
- 2018Lake Lucerne fisheries summary, 2018Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2018 (PDF)
- 2018Range Line Lake fisheries summary, 2018Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2018 (PDF)
- 2017Crane Lake fisheries summary, 2017Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
- 2017Pickerel Lake comprehensive survey, 2017Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
- 2017Trump Lake fisheries summary, 2017Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
All Lakes in Forest County
34 lakes · 23 graded, 11 not rated23 graded lakes · 11 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMole LakeForest | A | 8.5 ft | 15.6 µg/L | 1.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 17 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | ABug LakeForest | A | No recent samples | 9.5 µg/L | 1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | ACloud LakeForest | A | No recent samples | 13 µg/L | 1.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 25 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | ADevil'S LakeForest | A | No recent samples | 22 µg/L | 2.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | BPickerel LakeForest | B | 10 ft | 20.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 19 ft | ✓ Public |
| 6 | BSilver LakeForest | B | 13 ft | 12.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public |
| 7 | BLake LucerneForest | B | 18.7 ft | 9.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 73 ft | ✓ Public |
| 8 | BBear LakeForest | B | 5.6 ft | 18.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public |
| 9 | BLake MetongaForest | B | 22 ft | 13.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 79 ft | ✓ Public |
| 10 | BButternut LakeForest | B | 19.5 ft | 12.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 42 ft | ✓ Public |
| 11 | BWindfall LakeForest | B | 10 ft | 21.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 25 ft | ✓ Public |
| 12 | BLittle Sand LakeForest | B | 8 ft | 15.9 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public |
| 13 | BCrane LakeForest | B | 7 ft | 22 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 25 ft | ✓ Public |
| 14 | BFranklin LakeForest | B | 16 ft | 11.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 46 ft | ✓ Public |
| 15 | BRoberts LakeForest | B | 11.7 ft | 11.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 31 ft | ✓ Public |
| 16 | BVan Zile LakeForest | B | 5.4 ft | 19.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 17 ft | ✓ Public |
| 17 | BSt. Johns LakeForest | B | 10 ft | 14.9 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 21 ft | Not recorded |
| 18 | BArbutus LakeForest | B | 16 ft | 11.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 28 ft | ✓ Public |
| 19 | BKaine LakeForest | B | 3.2 ft | 22.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 20 | CPine LakeForest | C | 4.8 ft | 31.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 15 ft | ✓ Public |
| 21 | CBishop LakeForest | C | 7 ft | 25.4 µg/L | 3.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 12 ft | ✓ Public |
| 22 | CRice Lake NorthForest | C | No recent samples | 60 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | Not recorded |
| 23 | CRice Lake South SnailForest | C | No recent samples | 58 µg/L | 1.9 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | Not recorded |
| NRSouth Bay LakeForest | NR | 12 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 46 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRRice LakeForest | NR | No recent samples | 41 µg/L | 1.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRWalsh LakeForest | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 15 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRLily LakeForest | NR | 11.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 24 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRTrump LakeForest | NR | 12 ft | 10.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRJungle LakeForest | NR | 10.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLuna LakeForest | NR | 9.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 35 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLudington Lake-Deep HoleForest | NR | 9.7 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 30 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLittle Long LakeForest | NR | 13.1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 30 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLittle Rice LakeForest | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRHowell LakeForest | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 16 ft | Not recorded |
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
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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 Forest 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.