Bughs Lake
Waushara County, Wisconsin23 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Bughs Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bughs Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 23 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bughs Lake. DNR survey details →
Bughs Lake is a 23-acre lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-11-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bughs Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bughs Lake 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.
Water quality measurements for Bughs Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Bughs Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bughs Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bughs Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bughs Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. 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. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Bughs Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2023Bughs Lake spring shocking survey, 2023Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
23 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Bughs LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Bughs Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bughs Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Nearby Lakes in Waushara County
Frequently asked questions about Bughs Lake
Where is Bughs Lake?
- Bughs Lake is a lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bughs Lake?
- Bughs Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 23 acres.
Is Bughs Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bughs Lake?
- Bughs Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 23 acres.
What fish are in Bughs Lake?
- Fish species found in Bughs Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Catfish. Bughs Lake is located in Waushara County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bughs Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bughs Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bughs Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Bughs Lake?
- Bughs Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bughs Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bughs Lake?
- Bughs Lake 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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Where this data comes from
141 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX141 samples · 2020–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory