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LakeQuality

Diamond Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #6 of 24 lakes in the county · 13 ft clear · Oligotrophic · 322 acres · from A
Oligotrophic

Diamond Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 83 ft. Surface area: 322 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Diamond Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity
13 ft
Typical in August
71°F
Max depth
83 ft
Area
322 acres
Type
Oligotrophic
Trend
Declining
Public access
Yes

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Diamond Lake is a 322-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 83 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Bayfield County, Diamond Lake ranks #6 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Hayward

Get alerts for Diamond Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus level: 11.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)13 ftNot graded
Phosphorus11.8 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)40Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay near Diamond Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Diamond Lake in Bayfield 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 Diamond Lake

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 →

Water Temperature

Diamond Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
75°
Jul
76°
Aug
71°
Sep
66°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (20242025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Diamond Lake water temperature breakdown →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Diamond Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (147,231 cells/mL) on October 11, 2025.

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 lists Panfish as common on Diamond Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Diamond Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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 1992. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Reported
Trophic State Index 38 (oligotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Present)Walleye(Present)

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Diamond Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth83 ft
Surface Area322 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Elevation
1,388 ft

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

Fish Species

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

Fishing Diamond 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.

Banded Mystery SnailChinese Mystery Snail

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable-0.129 m/yr6
Phosphorus Declining+2.54 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

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

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10026588 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #6 of 24 lakes in Bayfield County

Nearby Lakes in Bayfield County

Frequently asked questions about Diamond Lake

Where is Diamond Lake?

Diamond Lake is a lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Diamond Lake?

Diamond Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 83 ft. Surface area: 322 acres.

Is Diamond Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Diamond Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Diamond Lake?

Diamond Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Diamond Lake?

Diamond Lake has a maximum depth of 83 feet. The lake covers 322 acres.

What fish are in Diamond Lake?

Fish species found in Diamond Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Diamond Lake is located in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Diamond Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Diamond Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Diamond Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Does Diamond Lake have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Diamond Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (147,231 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

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

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX66 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes