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

Rusk County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 39 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. 4 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Most monitored lakes in Rusk County carry favourable nutrient and algae readings for Wisconsin.

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. Clear Lake has the lowest nutrient and algae readings in the county.

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Where to stay near Rusk County

Top-rated places to stay near Rusk County

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Quick Answers for Rusk County

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

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

Rusk County Fishing Guide

Fish species and the cleanest lakes 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).

All Lakes in Rusk County

39 lakes · 4 ranked on readings, 35 without enough sampling4 lakes ranked on readings · 35 without enough sampling, hidden

#LakeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicMax DepthAccess
1Clear LakeRusk13.7 ft12.2 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples74 ft✓ Public
2Island LakeRusk7.7 ft15.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples54 ft✓ Public
3Amacoy LakeRusk4.5 ft25.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples20 ft✓ Public
4Murphy Flowage LakeRuskNo recent samples33.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples14 ft✓ Public
Mccann LakeRusk5.7 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples38 ft✓ Public
Dairyland ReservoirRusk1.4 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples70 ft✓ Public
Potato LakeRusk3 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Sand LakeRusk15.3 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples100 ft✓ Public
Pulaski LakeRusk9.5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples40 ft✓ Public
Unnamed Rusk Co -Deep Hole LakeRusk5.7 ft30.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples16 ftNot recorded
Fireside LakesRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Two Bear LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples35 ftNot recorded
Audie LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples32 ft✓ Public
Bucks LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Bruce LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples6 ftNot recorded
Bass LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples25 ftNot recorded
Caley LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples10 ftNot recorded
Round LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ft✓ Public
Bull Moose LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples4 ftNot recorded
Bog LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ftNot recorded
Big Bowker LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples8 ftNot recorded
Bass LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples27 ft✓ Public
Horseshoe LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples37 ftNot recorded
Pine LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples106 ftNot recorded
Lake ThreeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Sugar LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples20 ftNot recorded
Fish LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples40 ftNot recorded
Muskrat LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples22 ftNot recorded
Marsh LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples4 ftNot recorded
Boot LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples44 ft✓ Public
Washington Creek FlowageRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ftNot recorded
Corbett LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples4 ftNot recorded
McGee LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples10 ftNot recorded
Lake La VerneRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples12 ftNot recorded
Shamrock LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples8 ftNot recorded
Skinner Creek FlowageRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ftNot recorded
Big Falls FlowageRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples45 ftNot recorded
Bass LakeRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples18 ftNot recorded
Lea FlowageRuskNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ftNot 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

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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.