Where is Dairyland Reservoir?

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

How deep is Dairyland Reservoir?

Dairyland Reservoir has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 1870 acres.

Does Dairyland Reservoir have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Dairyland Reservoir (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (108,643 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.

Are there boat ramps on Dairyland Reservoir?

Dairyland Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Memorial Park, Dairyland Reservoir, Dairyland Reservoir, Dairyland Reservoir. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Dairyland Reservoir?

Dairyland Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings 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.

Dairyland Reservoir

Rusk County, Wisconsin1,870 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

1.4 ft

Murkier than most

Secchi · sampled 2020

Max depth

70 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

1,870 acres

Surface area

Impaired · Mercury
Rusty Crayfish
70 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Dairyland Reservoir in Rusk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 1870 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Dairyland Reservoir. DNR survey details →

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Dairyland Reservoir is a 1,870-acre lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2020-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Dairyland Reservoir covers about 1,900 acres in Rusk County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Dairyland Reservoir on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.

What Dairyland Reservoir is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch4 documented ramps
Fishing8 species recorded
Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Big water1,870 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dairyland Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Dairyland Reservoir 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 Dairyland Reservoir

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

Very murky, less than 1.4 ft of visibility. TSI 73.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	1.4ft	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.	73	Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Ask about Dairyland Reservoir

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

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Dairyland Reservoir — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (108,643 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Dairyland Reservoir.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dairyland Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately. 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 2020).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Walleye(Abundant)Musky(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Common)Panfish(Present)Largemouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)Sturgeon(Present)Catfish(Present)

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

Lake Details

Max depth

70 ft

Surface area

1,870 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

1,799 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

18.9 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,181 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Memorial ParkPublic
Dairyland ReservoirSemi-private
Dairyland ReservoirSemi-private
Dairyland ReservoirSemi-private

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

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Dairyland Reservoir

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dairyland Reservoir in Rusk 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 Dairyland Reservoir

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 Dairyland Reservoir’s readings

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Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye Sturgeon Catfish

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

Fishing Dairyland Reservoir

Invasive & Introduced Species

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

Chinese Mystery SnailEurasian Water-MilfoilRusty Crayfish

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Dairyland Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Flambeau (completed 1951), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Flambeau; gravity-type dam, 92 ft tall and 4,980 ft long.

Surface area: 1,952 ac
Normal storage: 43,500 ac-ft
Max storage: 47,167 ac-ft
Drainage area: 1,910 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: Dairyland Power Cooperative

All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00794 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Dairyland Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003492 · Official waterbody report

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Dairyland Reservoir under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

Dunn Paper Ladysmith Llc
Ladysmith · 3 mi away · NPDES WI0003204
MajorRecent violation
Tony Village Of
Tony · 2.5 mi away · NPDES WI0026000
Recent violation
Ladysmith City Of
Ladysmith · 4.2 mi away · NPDES WI0021326
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 Rusk County

Corbett Lake—View →Big Falls Flowage—View →Lea Flowage—View →Bass Lake—View →McGee Lake—View →Bass Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Dairyland Reservoir

Where is Dairyland Reservoir?: Dairyland Reservoir is a lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dairyland Reservoir?: Dairyland Reservoir in Rusk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 1870 acres.
Is Dairyland Reservoir safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dairyland Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Dairyland Reservoir?: Dairyland Reservoir has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 1870 acres.
What fish are in Dairyland Reservoir?: Fish species found in Dairyland Reservoir include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Sturgeon, Catfish. Dairyland Reservoir is located in Rusk County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dairyland Reservoir?: Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Dairyland Reservoir. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dairyland Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Dairyland Reservoir have blue-green algae?: There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Dairyland Reservoir (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (108,643 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Dairyland Reservoir?: Dairyland Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Memorial Park, Dairyland Reservoir, Dairyland Reservoir, Dairyland Reservoir. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Dairyland Reservoir?: Dairyland Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings 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

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

Collected and reported by

Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX8 samples · 2020

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-553154

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