What is the water quality grade for Easter Lake?

Easter Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of D (Poor). Water clarity: 2.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.8 µg/L. Surface area: 218 acres.

Is Easter Lake safe to swim in?

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk. Easter Lake has an overall water quality grade of D. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 22.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Easter Lake

Polk County, WisconsinEutrophic

Easter Lake is a 218-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, IA. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Easter Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2024-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 2.9 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 22.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 62.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	2.9 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	22.8 µg/L	D
Trophic State Index (TSI)	62	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	218 acres

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #4 of 12 lakes in Polk County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Easter Lake holds Grade D. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Polk County

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin

Top 25 by overall water quality score

Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin

Grade A/B + low algae filter

Family fishing lakes in Wisconsin

Panfish-rich, public access

All Wisconsin lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade D Lakes in Wisconsin

Storm Lake Max Depth

Buena Vista County · Clarity: 1.7 ft

Lost Island Lake

Palo Alto County · Clarity: 2.6 ft

Nodaway Lake

Adair County · Clarity: 2.8 ft

Loch Ayr Lake

Ringgold County · Clarity: 2 ft

Nelson Lake

Crawford County · Clarity: 3.8 ft

Lake Minnewashta

Dickinson County · Clarity: 2.8 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Storm Lake Max Depth Lost Island Lake Nodaway Lake Arrowhead Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Easter Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Easter Lake Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the YEADER CREEK; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 1,860 ft long.

Surface area: 218 ac
Normal storage: 3,200 ac-ft
Max storage: 6,200 ac-ft
Drainage area: 10.16 sq mi
Hazard class: Significant
Owner: Polk County Conservation Board

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00915 · Operator website

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2024-09-18

Monitoring stations: 1