Polk County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 77 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Polk County in Wisconsin carries 77 graded lakes — one of the lake-richer counties in our dataset. Coverage that dense usually reflects active lake-association sampling alongside state-agency monitoring. With an average grade of B, Polk 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. Wind Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for Polk County
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.
DNR Reports (8)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Polk County. browse all reports →
- 2025Deer Lake spring shocking survey, 2025Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2024Apple River Flowage spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Bone Lake spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2022Big and Little Blake lakes spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Big Butternut Lake fisheries survey, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Herby Lake spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Little Butternut Lake spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- —Bone Lake muskellunge survey, 2024-2025Musky Survey · WI DNR (PDF)
All Lakes in Polk County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Max Depth | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wind Lake | A | 32.8 ft | - | 17.2 µg/L |
| 2 | Round Lake | A | 37.7 ft | 26 ft | - |
| 3 | Pine Lake | A | 42.7 ft | 34 ft | 13.5 µg/L |
| 4 | Sand Lake | A | 65.6 ft | - | - |
| 5 | Diamond Lake | A | 27.1 ft | - | - |
| 6 | Clear Lake | A | 50.9 ft | 26 ft | 13.9 µg/L |
| 7 | Crescent Lake | A | 26.2 ft | 43 ft | 17.4 µg/L |
| 8 | Deer Lake | A | 49.2 ft | 46 ft | 16.9 µg/L |
| 9 | North Twin Lake | A | - | 27 ft | 10.1 µg/L |
| 10 | Lamont Lake | A | 39.4 ft | 28 ft | - |
| 11 | Church Pine Lake | A | 42.7 ft | 45 ft | 13.5 µg/L |
| 12 | Swede Lake | A | 44.3 ft | 32 ft | - |
| 13 | South Twin Lake | A | 32.8 ft | - | 11.7 µg/L |
| 14 | Pipe Lake | A | 37.7 ft | 68 ft | 14.5 µg/L |
| 15 | Vincent Lake | A | 16.4 ft | 15 ft | - |
| 16 | Pike Lake | A | - | 33 ft | 13.4 µg/L |
| 17 | Half Moon Lake | A | 50 ft | 60 ft | 13.9 µg/L |
| 18 | Bridget Lake | A | 16.4 ft | - | - |
| 19 | Margaret Lake | A | 50.9 ft | - | 10.8 µg/L |
| 20 | Dahl Lake | A | 30 ft | - | - |
| 21 | Poplar Lake | A | 44 ft | - | - |
| 22 | Godfrey Lake | A | 26.2 ft | - | - |
| 23 | Freedom Lakes | A | 31.2 ft | - | 19.9 µg/L |
| 24 | Paulsen Lake | A | 39.4 ft | - | 12.7 µg/L |
| 25 | Antler Lake | A | 43.9 ft | 22 ft | 15 µg/L |
| 26 | Moccasin Lake | A | 32.4 ft | 31 ft | - |
| 27 | Sandhill Lake | A | 27.1 ft | - | 19.2 µg/L |
| 28 | Lower Pine Lake | A | 68.9 ft | 102 ft | 9.2 µg/L |
| 29 | Long Lake | A | 16.4 ft | 44 ft | 27.7 µg/L |
| 30 | Big Lake | A | 29.5 ft | 24 ft | 21.6 µg/L |
| 31 | Bone Lake | A | 24.6 ft | 43 ft | 20.2 µg/L |
| 32 | Horseshoe Lake | A | 27.9 ft | - | 22.5 µg/L |
| 33 | Lost Lake | A | 19.7 ft | - | 25.4 µg/L |
| 34 | Clarey Lake | A | 13.9 ft | - | 18.8 µg/L |
| 35 | Bear Trap Lake | A | 29.5 ft | 25 ft | 24.9 µg/L |
| 36 | Ward Lake | A | 19.7 ft | 43 ft | 22.4 µg/L |
| 37 | Loveless Lake | A | 27.1 ft | 20 ft | 28.9 µg/L |
| 38 | Unnamed Lake | A | 16.4 ft | - | 22.4 µg/L |
| 39 | Mckenzie Lake | A | 23 ft | 25 ft | 26 µg/L |
| 40 | King Lake | A | 37.7 ft | - | 20.6 µg/L |
| 41 | Ember Lake | A | 27.1 ft | - | 20.2 µg/L |
| 42 | Dinger Lake | A | 20.5 ft | - | 22 µg/L |
| 43 | Balsam Lake | A | 42.7 ft | 37 ft | 23.4 µg/L |
| 44 | Rice Lake | B | 14.8 ft | 10 ft | 25.4 µg/L |
| 45 | Balsam Lake | B | 7.4 ft | - | 15.2 µg/L |
| 46 | Camelia Lake | B | 18 ft | - | 32.6 µg/L |
| 47 | Horse Lake | B | 11.5 ft | 11 ft | - |
| 48 | North White Ash Lake | B | 16 ft | 9 ft | 59.1 µg/L |
| 49 | Mud Lake | B | 13.9 ft | 15 ft | 24.7 µg/L |
| 50 | Black Brook Flowage Lake | B | 20.5 ft | - | 46.6 µg/L |
| 51 | Wapogasset Lake | B | 18.9 ft | 32 ft | 30.6 µg/L |
| 52 | Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site | B | 18.9 ft | 37 ft | 42.7 µg/L |
| 53 | Little Bass Lake | B | 18 ft | - | 37.8 µg/L |
| 54 | Clam Falls Flowage Lake | B | 14.8 ft | - | - |
| 55 | Little Butternut Lake | B | 13.1 ft | 23 ft | - |
| 56 | Pogo Lake | B | 16.4 ft | - | 38.2 µg/L |
| 57 | Dace Lake | B | - | - | 21.3 µg/L |
| 58 | Magnor Lake | B | 11.9 ft | 26 ft | 57.7 µg/L |
| 59 | Apple River Flowage Lake | B | 18 ft | 18 ft | 78.5 µg/L |
| 60 | Little Blake Lake | B | 11.5 ft | 14 ft | 43.8 µg/L |
| 61 | Omer Lake | B | 16.4 ft | - | 66.6 µg/L |
| 62 | Long Lake | C | 5.9 ft | 17 ft | 26.1 µg/L |
| 63 | North Pipe Lake | C | 6.2 ft | 37 ft | 29.3 µg/L |
| 64 | Big Butternut Lake | C | 14.8 ft | 19 ft | 62.1 µg/L |
| 65 | Mud Lake | C | 16.8 ft | - | 129 µg/L |
| 66 | Big Blake Lake | C | 9.8 ft | 14 ft | 59.5 µg/L |
| 67 | Largon Lake | C | 8.2 ft | 10 ft | 55.8 µg/L |
| 68 | Big Round Lake | C | 5.6 ft | 17 ft | 27.6 µg/L |
| 69 | Cedar Lake | C | 6.2 ft | 32 ft | 42.3 µg/L |
| 70 | White Ash Lake | C | 9.8 ft | 9 ft | 68.2 µg/L |
| 71 | Long Trade Lake | C | 9.8 ft | 13 ft | 87.6 µg/L |
| 72 | Unnamed Lake | D | 5.4 ft | - | - |
| 73 | Lotus Lake | D | 6.6 ft | 15 ft | - |
| 74 | Alabama Lake | D | 5.7 ft | 28 ft | 70.8 µg/L |
| 75 | Big Round Deep Hole South Lake | D | 4.9 ft | 17 ft | - |
| 76 | Gibson Lake | D | - | 12 ft | 60.3 µg/L |
| 77 | Mud Lake | D | 6.6 ft | 12 ft | 93 µg/L |
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.