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LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Portage County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 37 lakes, measured by Wisconsin DNR

The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 14 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county-wide picture is low-to-moderate phosphorus with clear summer transparency across most monitored lakes.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the readings sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest measured lake is Lake Emily.

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Top-rated places to stay near Portage County

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Quick Answers for Portage County

Cleanest lakes in Portage County →Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin →Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin →

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

Fishing in Portage County

Portage County Fishing Guide

Fish species and the cleanest lakes in Portage County

DNR Reports (4)

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

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

All Lakes in Portage County

37 lakes · 14 ranked on readings, 23 without enough sampling14 lakes ranked on readings · 23 without enough sampling, hidden

#LakeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicMax DepthAccess
1Lake EmilyPortage11 ft16.9 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples35 ft✓ Public
2Rinehart LakePortage19 ft13.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples27 ft✓ Public
3Sunset LakePortage13.3 ft13.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples55 ft✓ Public
4Tree LakePortage7.4 ft20.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples33 ft✓ Public
5Glisezinski LakePortage9 ft16.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples11 ft✓ Public
6Collins LakePortage6.5 ft20.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples56 ft✓ Public
7Lake HelenPortage8 ft19.2 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples20 ft✓ Public
8Onland LakePortage10.5 ft12.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples28 ftNot recorded
9Springville PondPortage9 ft18.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples10 ft✓ Public
10Mcdill PondPortage5 ft34.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples19 ft✓ Public
11Jordan PondPortage4 ft35.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples7 ft✓ Public
12Spring LakePortage8.8 ft29.9 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples42 ft✓ Public
13Amherst MillpondPortageNo recent samples31.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples7 ft✓ Public
14Culvert on Lake HelenPortageNo recent samples87.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Pickerel LakePortage9.5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples12 ft✓ Public
Bear LakePortage13 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples28 ft✓ Public
Wolf LakePortage9 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples17 ft✓ Public
Ebert LakePortage21 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples30 ftNot recorded
South Twin LakePortage5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ftNot recorded
Unnamed LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Lake LimePortage10.8 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples29 ft✓ Public
Lake Ell LakePortage3.5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples20 ftNot recorded
Fountain LakePortage21 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples23 ft✓ Public
Adams LakePortage7.3 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples44 ft✓ Public
Lake PacawaPortage4.5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples12 ftNot recorded
Thomas LakePortage13 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples28 ft✓ Public
Joanis LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Bass LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples16 ftNot recorded
Washburn LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Lions LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples6 ftNot recorded
Bentley PondPortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
VanOrder PondPortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Bakers LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Hintz LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Reton LakePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Wisconsin River FlowagePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples25 ft✓ Public
Little Eau Pleine FlowagePortageNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded

NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.

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Other Counties in Wisconsin

Outagamie County

2 lakes

Washington County

18 lakes

Sawyer County

120 lakes

Forest County

89 lakes

Kenosha County

20 lakes

Marinette County

65 lakes

Browse every Wisconsin lake, or the full directory of lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..

Source: the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. See data sources.