Explosion Lake
Oconto County, Wisconsin43 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Explosion Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
Explosion Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.4 µg/L. Surface area: 43 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Explosion Lake. DNR survey details →
Explosion Lake is a 43-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Explosion Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Explosion Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Explosion 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 Explosion Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Explosion Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17 ft down. Phosphorus 14.4 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.4µg/L | Good 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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Explosion Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Explosion Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Explosion 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 2003. 4 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Surface area
43 acres
The available depth estimate for Explosion Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
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Stays near Explosion Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Explosion 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
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.05 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Oconto County
Frequently asked questions about Explosion Lake
Where is Explosion Lake?
- Explosion Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Explosion Lake?
- Explosion Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.4 µg/L. Surface area: 43 acres.
Is Explosion Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Explosion Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Explosion Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 43 acres.
What fish are in Explosion Lake?
- Fish species found in Explosion Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Explosion Lake is located in Oconto County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Explosion Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Explosion Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Explosion 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.
Explore Explosion Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
82 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 Resources
WIDNR_WQX82 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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