Polk County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 73 lakes, average grade C (Fair)

Polk County in Wisconsin carries 73 graded lakes — one of the lake-richer counties in our dataset. Coverage that dense usually reflects active lake-association sampling alongside state-agency monitoring. Polk County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

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. Wind Lake (B) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for Polk County

Cleanest lakes in Polk County →Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin →Safest swimming lakes in Wisconsin →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Wind Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.

Fishing in Polk County

Polk County Fishing Guide

Fish species and best-graded lakes in Polk County

DNR Reports (8)

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Polk County. browse all reports →

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

2025
Deer Lake spring shocking survey, 2025
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2024
Apple River Flowage spring shocking survey, 2024
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
2024
Bone Lake spring shocking survey, 2024
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
2022
Big and Little Blake lakes spring shocking survey, 2022
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
2022
Big Butternut Lake fisheries survey, 2022
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
2022
Herby Lake spring shocking survey, 2022
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
2022
Little Butternut Lake spring shocking survey, 2022
Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
—
Bone Lake muskellunge survey, 2024-2025
Musky Survey · WI DNR (PDF)

All Lakes in Polk County

73 lakes · 55 graded, 18 not rated55 graded lakes · 18 not rated, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (18)

#	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Max Depth	Access
1	BWind LakePolk	B	10 ft	17.2 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	7 ft	✓ Public
2	BBalsam LakePolk	B	6.6 ft	16.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	37 ft	✓ Public
3	BClear LakePolk	B	15.5 ft	13.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	26 ft	✓ Public
4	BBone LakePolk	B	8 ft	19.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	43 ft	✓ Public
5	BCrescent LakePolk	B	4.5 ft	17.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	43 ft	✓ Public
6	BPipe LakePolk	B	11.5 ft	14.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	68 ft	✓ Public
7	BMud LakePolk	B	4.3 ft	24.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	15 ft	Not recorded
8	BNorth Twin LakePolk	B	No recent samples	10.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	27 ft	✓ Public
9	BBig LakePolk	B	9 ft	21.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	24 ft	✓ Public
10	BDeer LakePolk	B	16 ft	16.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	46 ft	✓ Public
11	BPaulsen LakePolk	B	12 ft	12.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
12	BWard LakePolk	B	6 ft	22.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	43 ft	✓ Public
13	BChurch Pine LakePolk	B	13 ft	13.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	45 ft	✓ Public
14	BHalf Moon LakePolk	B	15.3 ft	13.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	60 ft	✓ Public
15	BHorseshoe LakePolk	B	8.5 ft	22.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
16	BPine LakePolk	B	13 ft	13.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	34 ft	✓ Public
17	BClarey LakePolk	B	4.3 ft	18.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	49 ft	✓ Public
18	BUnnamed LakePolk	B	5 ft	22.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
19	BAntler LakePolk	B	13.4 ft	15 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	22 ft	✓ Public
20	BSandhill LakePolk	B	8.2 ft	19.2 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
21	BKing LakePolk	B	11.5 ft	20.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	14 ft	✓ Public
22	BEmber LakePolk	B	8.2 ft	20.2 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
23	BDinger LakePolk	B	6.2 ft	22 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
24	BDace LakePolk	B	No recent samples	21.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
25	CRice LakePolk	C	4.5 ft	25.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	10 ft	✓ Public
26	CLong LakePolk	C	5.9 ft	25.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	17 ft	✓ Public
27	CLong LakePolk	C	5 ft	27.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	44 ft	✓ Public
28	CBig Round LakePolk	C	5 ft	27 µg/L	6.9 µg/L	No recent samples	17 ft	✓ Public
29	CLoveless LakePolk	C	8.5 ft	28.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
30	CLost LakePolk	C	6 ft	25.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
31	CNorth Pipe LakePolk	C	5.8 ft	29.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	37 ft	✓ Public
32	CBear Trap LakePolk	C	8.8 ft	24.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	25 ft	✓ Public
33	CWapogasset LakePolk	C	6 ft	30.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	32 ft	✓ Public
34	CCamelia LakePolk	C	6 ft	32.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	6 ft	✓ Public
35	CMckenzie LakePolk	C	7 ft	26 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	25 ft	✓ Public
36	CLittle Bass LakePolk	C	5.5 ft	37.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
37	CPogo LakePolk	C	5 ft	38.2 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
38	CMargaret LakePolk	C	15.5 ft	30 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	17 ft	✓ Public
39	CLower Pine LakePolk	C	21 ft	30 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	102 ft	✓ Public
40	DCedar LakePolk	D	6.1 ft	42.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	32 ft	✓ Public
41	DLong Trade LakePolk	D	3 ft	84.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	13 ft	✓ Public
42	DMud LakePolk	D	5.2 ft	129 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	12 ft	Not recorded
43	DMud LakePolk	D	2 ft	93 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	7 ft	✓ Public
44	DBig Butternut LakePolk	D	4.5 ft	62.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	19 ft	✓ Public
45	DWhite Ash LakePolk	D	2.5 ft	68.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	9 ft	✓ Public
46	DNorth White Ash LakePolk	D	5 ft	58.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	9 ft	✓ Public
47	DBlack Brook Flowage LakePolk	D	10.5 ft	46.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	23 ft	✓ Public
48	DLargon LakePolk	D	2.5 ft	55.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	10 ft	✓ Public
49	DApple River Flowage LakePolk	D	5.9 ft	78.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	18 ft	✓ Public
50	DAlabama LakePolk	D	1.7 ft	70.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	28 ft	✓ Public
51	DLittle Blake LakePolk	D	3.5 ft	43.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	14 ft	✓ Public
52	DMagnor LakePolk	D	3.7 ft	57.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	26 ft	✓ Public
53	DOmer LakePolk	D	5 ft	66.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
54	DBalsam Lake Little Balsam SitePolk	D	5.7 ft	42.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	37 ft	✓ Public
55	DBig Blake LakePolk	D	2.5 ft	59.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	14 ft	✓ Public
	NRRound LakePolk	NR	11.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	26 ft	✓ Public
	NRLittle Butternut LakePolk	NR	3.7 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	23 ft	✓ Public
	NRPike LakePolk	NR	No recent samples	13.4 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	33 ft	✓ Public
	NRSwede LakePolk	NR	13 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	32 ft	✓ Public
	NRDiamond LakePolk	NR	8.2 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRSand LakePolk	NR	20 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRPoplar LakePolk	NR	12.7 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRVincent LakePolk	NR	5.4 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	15 ft	✓ Public
	NRHorse LakePolk	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	11 ft	✓ Public
	NRSouth Twin LakePolk	NR	No recent samples	11.7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	9 ft	✓ Public
	NRFreedom LakesPolk	NR	9.5 ft	19.9 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	4 ft	Not recorded
	NRLamont LakePolk	NR	12 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	28 ft	Not recorded
	NRUnnamed LakePolk	NR	1.6 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRLotus LakePolk	NR	2 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	15 ft	✓ Public
	NRMoccasin LakePolk	NR	9.9 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	31 ft	Not recorded
	NRBig Round Deep Hole South LakePolk	NR	4.9 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	17 ft	✓ Public
	NRGibson LakePolk	NR	No recent samples	60.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	12 ft	Not recorded
	NRMurdock LakePolk	NR	No recent samples	35.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	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.

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