Holcombe Flowage Lake
Holcombe Flowage Lake in Chippewa County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 49.6 µg/L. Surface area: 4300 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.7 ft
- Area
- 4,300 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Holcombe Flowage Lake →
Next lake in Chippewa County
Holcombe Flowage Lake is a 4,300-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 7 public boat landings. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Chippewa County, Holcombe Flowage Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria A
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Holcombe Flowage Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 29 samples across 3 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Wisconsin’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus level: 49.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 59.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 49.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Holcombe Flowage Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Holcombe Flowage Lake in Chippewa 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Holcombe Flowage Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Holcombe Flowage Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Holcombe Flowage Lake → · more Wisconsin lake trips
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 4,300 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Holcombe Flowage Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Pine Point County ParkPublic
- Holcombe FlowagePublic
- Holcombe FlowagePublic
- Holcombe FlowagePublic
- Holcombe FlowageSemi-private
- Holcombe FlowageSemi-private
Showing 6 of 7 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Fishing Holcombe Flowage Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.25 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Holcombe Flowage Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Holcombe (completed 1950), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Chippewa River; gravity-type dam, 60 ft tall and 6,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,300 ac
- Normal storage
- 46,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 46,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4,680 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Northern States Power Co
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00732 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Holcombe Flowage Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10006525 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Holcombe Flowage Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Lake Holcombe Sanitary District #1 WwtfLake Holcombe · 2.9 mi away · NPDES WI0028339Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 7 lakes in Chippewa County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Holcombe Flowage Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Chippewa County
Frequently asked questions about Holcombe Flowage Lake
What is the water quality grade for Holcombe Flowage Lake?
- Holcombe Flowage Lake in Chippewa County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 49.6 µg/L. Surface area: 4300 acres.
Is Holcombe Flowage Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Holcombe Flowage Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 29 samples across 3 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of A — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Holcombe Flowage Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Wisconsin's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Holcombe Flowage Lake?
- Holcombe Flowage Lake has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Point County Park, Holcombe Flowage, Holcombe Flowage, Holcombe Flowage, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Holcombe Flowage Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX70 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory