Rusk County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 12 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Rusk County has 12 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. With an average grade of B, Rusk County sits comfortably above the Wisconsin median.
A meaningful share of Rusk's lakes break 50 feet of depth, which matters because deep lakes hold cooler water all summer and resist the resuspended-sediment problems that plague shallow basins. The county's best-graded lake is Clear Lake (B).
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Quick Answers for Rusk County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Clear Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
Fishing in Rusk County
DNR Reports (2)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Rusk County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2022Ladysmith Flowage spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2021Potato Lake netting and shocking survey 2019, 2021Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
All Lakes in Rusk County
12 lakes · 4 graded, 8 not rated4 graded lakes · 8 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BClear LakeRusk | B | 13.7 ft | 12.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 74 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BIsland LakeRusk | B | 7.7 ft | 15.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 54 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | CAmacoy LakeRusk | C | 4.5 ft | 25.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | CMurphy Flowage LakeRusk | C | No recent samples | 33.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRMccann LakeRusk | NR | 5.7 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 38 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRDairyland ReservoirRusk | NR | 1.4 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 70 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRPotato LakeRusk | NR | 3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRSand LakeRusk | NR | 15.3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 100 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRPulaski LakeRusk | NR | 9.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 40 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRUnnamed Rusk Co -Deep Hole LakeRusk | NR | 5.7 ft | 30.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 16 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRFireside LakesRusk | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRTwo Bear LakeRusk | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 35 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
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 Rusk 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.