Where is Amherst Millpond?

Amherst Millpond is a lake in Portage County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Amherst Millpond?

Amherst Millpond has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 38 acres.

What fish are in Amherst Millpond?

Fish species found in Amherst Millpond include Panfish, Northern Pike. Amherst Millpond is located in Portage County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on Amherst Millpond?

Amherst Millpond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Amherst Millpond. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Amherst Millpond?

Amherst Millpond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Amherst Millpond

Portage County, Wisconsin38 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Amherst Millpond. Here is what has been measured.

Phosphorus

31.3 µg/L

More phosphorus than most

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Max depth

7 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

38 acres

Surface area

Type

Eutrophic

Trophic class

Eutrophic
3 aquatic invasives
7 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Amherst Millpond in Portage County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 31.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 38 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Amherst Millpond. DNR survey details →

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Amherst Millpond is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Portage County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 7 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Portage County, Amherst Millpond ranks #13 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2021-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Amherst Millpond covers about 38 acres in Portage County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Amherst Millpond on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.

What Amherst Millpond is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Amherst Millpond is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Amherst Millpond

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Amherst Millpond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. Phosphorus 31.3 µg/L. TSI 54.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)		No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	31.3µg/L	Fair GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)		No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water.
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.	54	Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Amherst Millpond

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Amherst Millpond.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amherst Millpond’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 4 stations on file (most recent sample 2021).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Northern Pike(Present)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

7 ft

Surface area

38 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

63 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

2.1 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,050 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Amherst MillpondPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Amherst Millpond

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Amherst Millpond in Portage County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Amherst Millpond

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

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Follow Amherst Millpond’s readings

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Fish Species

Panfish Northern Pike

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Amherst Millpond

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Banded Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedJapanese knotweedPurple LoosestrifeRusty Crayfish

Water quality readings over time

2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.

Phosphorus
Improving
-2.6 µg/L/yr2 years

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Amherst Millpond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Amherst (completed 1857), built primarily for recreation on the Waupaca (Tomorrow) River; gravity-type dam, 14 ft tall and 370 ft long.

Surface area: 48 ac
Normal storage: 116 ac-ft
Max storage: 260 ac-ft
Drainage area: 90 sq mi
Hazard class: Significant
Owner: Renew Hydro Power, LLC;Village of Amherst

All listed purposes: Recreation;Hydroelectric.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00286 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.66 km)

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Amherst Millpond under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

Amherst Wastewater Treatment Facility
Amherst · 1.7 mi away · NPDES WI0023213
Recent violation

Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.

Nearby Lakes in Portage County

Lake Emily11 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Ebert Lake21 ft clear—View →Onland Lake10.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Rinehart Lake19 ft clear · Oligotrophic—View →Lake Lime10.8 ft clear—View →Reton Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Amherst Millpond

Where is Amherst Millpond?: Amherst Millpond is a lake in Portage County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Amherst Millpond?: Amherst Millpond in Portage County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 31.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 38 acres.
Is Amherst Millpond safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Amherst Millpond?: Amherst Millpond has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 38 acres.
What fish are in Amherst Millpond?: Fish species found in Amherst Millpond include Panfish, Northern Pike. Amherst Millpond is located in Portage County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Amherst Millpond?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Amherst Millpond. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amherst Millpond’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Amherst Millpond?: Amherst Millpond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Amherst Millpond. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Amherst Millpond?: Amherst Millpond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

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State Parks Near Amherst Millpond

Hartman Creek State Park

State Park · 9.8 mi

Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Pike Lake

Marathon County · 5 ft

Lawrence Lake

Marquette County · 6.7 ft

Upper Red Lake

Shawano County · 7.5 ft

Friendship Lake

Adams County · 4 ft

Peppermill Lake

Adams County · 7.5 ft

Shawano Lake

Shawano County · 5.9 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Old Taylor Lake Long Lake Plainfield White Lake Pike Lake

Where this data comes from

6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX6 samples · 2020–2021

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-10040059

EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.

Other records on this page

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory