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

What is the water temperature of Honey Lake?

Honey Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 94 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Honey Lake?

Honey Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 40 acres.

What fish are in Honey Lake?

Fish species found in Honey Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Trout, Catfish. Honey Lake is located in Walworth County, Wisconsin.

Honey Lake

Walworth County, Wisconsin40 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

2.5 ft

Murkier than most

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

89.6 µg/L

More phosphorus than most

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Water temp

~60°F

Typical for Oct · EPA WQP

Max depth

6 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

40 acres

Surface area

Type

Eutrophic

Trophic class

Eutrophic
Curly-Leaf Pondweed
6 ft max depth

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Honey Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 89.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 40 acres.

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

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Honey Lake is a 40-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 6 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Walworth County, Honey Lake ranks #18 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Honey Lake covers about 40 acres in Walworth County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Honey Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.

What Honey Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Fishing5 species recorded

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Elevated nutrients

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 Honey 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.

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Get alerts for Honey Lake →

Water quality measurements for Honey Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Honey Lake, 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 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 89.6 µg/L. TSI 66.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	2.5ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	89.6µg/L	Poor 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.	66	Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Honey Lake

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

Water Temperature

Honey Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Mar (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

Feb

43°

Mar

51°

Apr

66°

May

70°

Jun

74°

Jul

72°

Aug

67°

Sep

60°

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (43°F) to its warmest (74°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 94 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Honey Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Honey Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Honey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. 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 2016. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2026).

DNR Assessment

Reported

Trophic State Index 62 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)Trout(Present)Catfish(Present)

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

Lake Details

Max depth

6 ft

Surface area

40 acres

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Honey Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Honey Lake in Walworth 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Honey Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Honey Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 Honey Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike Trout Catfish

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

Fishing Honey 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.

Curly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-Milfoil

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).

Water clarity
Improving
6 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-26.95 µg/L/yr3 years

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Honey Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Honey Lake (completed 1952), built primarily for recreation on the SUGAR CREEK; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.

Surface area: 44 ac
Normal storage: 104 ac-ft
Max storage: 330 ac-ft
Drainage area: 70 sq mi
Hazard class: Low
Owner: Honey Lake Protection & Rehabilitation District

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00323 · Operator website

Nearby Lakes in Walworth County

Potter Lake4.3 ft clear · Eutrophic—View →Army Lake8.2 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Lake Beulah10 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Lake Ivanhoe2.5 ft clear—View →Swan Lake6.8 ft clear—View →Booth Lake8 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →

Frequently asked questions about Honey Lake

Where is Honey Lake?: Honey Lake is a lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Honey Lake?: Honey Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 89.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 40 acres.
Is Honey Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Honey Lake?: Honey Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 94 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Honey Lake?: Honey Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 40 acres.
What fish are in Honey Lake?: Fish species found in Honey Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Trout, Catfish. Honey Lake is located in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Honey Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Honey Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Honey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Explore Honey Lake across LakeQuality

Wisconsin Fishing Guide

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Fish species and best lakes in Walworth County

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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

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Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings

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Every Wisconsin lake with its Wisconsin DNR measurements

Lake water quality by country

Official ratings and named-lake measurements

State Parks Near Honey Lake

Big Foot Beach State Park

State Park · 11.7 mi

Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Eagle Lake

Racine County · 1.5 ft

Muskego Lake

Waukesha County · Measured

Lake Koshkonong

Jefferson County · 1.7 ft

Mud Lake

Jefferson County · 2.3 ft

Rice Lake

Dane County · 1.5 ft

Bernice Lake

Fond du Lac County · 6.5 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Tichigan Lake Eagle Spring Lake Wind Lake Vern Wolf Lake

Where this data comes from

110 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_WQX110 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-653289

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.