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LakeQuality

Hope Lake

Jefferson County, Wisconsin108 acresView mapDirections

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

Clarity
8 ft
Typical for Wisconsin
Secchi · sampled 2024
Max depth
24 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
108 acres
Surface area
  • 24 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Hope Lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 108 acres.

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

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Hope Lake is a 108-acre lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 24 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Hope Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Fishing3 species recorded

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Hope 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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Water quality measurements for Hope Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Hope Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. TSI 47.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)8ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorusNo reading

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

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.47Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Hope Lake

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

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hope Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hope Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Common)

Lake Details

Max depth

24 ft

Surface area

108 acres

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

1 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

1.6 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

840 ft

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

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Hope Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hope Lake in Jefferson 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 Hope Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fish Species

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

Fishing Hope Lake

2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.

  • Water clarity

    Worsening

    2 years

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Hope Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Deerfield Wastewater Treatment Facility
    Deerfield · 4.6 mi away · NPDES WI0023744
    Recent 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.

Nearby Lakes in Jefferson County

Frequently asked questions about Hope Lake

Where is Hope Lake?

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

What is the water quality of Hope Lake?

Hope Lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 108 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Hope Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Hope Lake?

Hope Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The lake covers 108 acres.

What fish are in Hope Lake?

Fish species found in Hope Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Hope Lake is located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hope Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hope Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hope Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX9 samples · 2022–2024
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

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes