Bullhead Lake
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin70 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Bullhead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Bullhead Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 70 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bullhead Lake. DNR survey details →
Bullhead Lake is a 70-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Manitowoc County, Bullhead Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bullhead Lake covers about 70 acres in Manitowoc County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Bullhead Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Bullhead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Bullhead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bullhead 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 Bullhead Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Bullhead Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft. Phosphorus 70.7 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 70.7µg/L | Poor 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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bullhead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bullhead Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 69°F) and coldest in Feb (about 39°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (39°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 85 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bullhead Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bullhead Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1986. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2026).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Bullhead 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).
- 2017Bullhead Lake comprehensive survey 2017Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
70 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
810 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bullhead LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bullhead Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bullhead Lake in Manitowoc 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Bullhead Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Bullhead Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Bullhead Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bullhead 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 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.4 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Bullhead Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10000142 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Bullhead Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Rockland SD1 Wastewater Treatment FacilityRockland, Town Of · 3.7 mi away · NPDES WI0022802Recent violation
- Rockland Water Sewer Utilities WwtfRockland · 4.8 mi away · NPDES WI0028967Recent violation
- Dallman East River Dairy LlcBrillion · 1 mi away · NPDES WI0063681
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 Manitowoc County
Frequently asked questions about Bullhead Lake
Where is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake is a lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 70 acres.
Is Bullhead Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bullhead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 85 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 70 acres.
What fish are in Bullhead Lake?
- Fish species found in Bullhead Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Bullhead Lake is located in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bullhead Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Bullhead Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bullhead Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead 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.
Explore Bullhead Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
199 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX199 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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