Taylor County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 6 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Taylor County has 6 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. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Lake Esadore (B); the most-stressed is Spirit Lake (D).
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Quick Answers for Taylor County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Esadore, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
Fishing in Taylor County
DNR Reports (1)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Taylor County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2023Sackett Lake spring netting and shocking survey, 2023Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
All Lakes in Taylor County
6 lakes · 4 graded, 2 not rated4 graded lakes · 2 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLake EsadoreTaylor | B | 4.5 ft | 22.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 36 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BRichter LakeTaylor | B | 10 ft | 15 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DSpirit LakeTaylor | D | 3 ft | 88.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 9 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | DChequamegon Waters Flowage LakeTaylor | D | 2.5 ft | 91.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 22 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRCranberry LakeTaylor | NR | 2 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRSouth Harper LakeTaylor | NR | 6.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 32 ft | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. 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 Taylor County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.