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LakeQuality

Horn Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #24 of 39 lakes in the county · 8.8 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 131 acres
Mesotrophic

Horn Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 131 acres.

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

Clarity
8.8 ft
Typical in June
75°F
Max depth
11 ft
Area
131 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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Horn Lake is a 131-acre mesotrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Horn Lake ranks #24 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

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.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Rhinelander

Get alerts for Horn Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.8 ft. Phosphorus level: 14.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)8.8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus14.5 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Horn Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horn Lake in Oconto 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 Horn Lake

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 →

Water Temperature

Horn Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in June. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 75°F) and coldest in Nov (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
62°
May
Jun
75°
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
48°
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (20242025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horn Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Horn Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Horn Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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. 6 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth11 ft
Surface Area131 acres
Public AccessYes

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Horn LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fish Species

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

Fishing Horn 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.

Eurasian Water-Milfoil

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.848 m/yr7
Phosphorus Improving-1.14 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #24 of 39 lakes in Oconto County

Nearby Lakes in Oconto County

Frequently asked questions about Horn Lake

Where is Horn Lake?

Horn Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Horn Lake?

Horn Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 131 acres.

Is Horn Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Horn Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Horn Lake?

Horn Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in June, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Horn Lake?

Horn Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 131 acres.

What fish are in Horn Lake?

Fish species found in Horn Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Horn Lake is located in Oconto County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horn Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Horn Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Horn Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.

Are there boat ramps on Horn Lake?

Horn Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Horn Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

18 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_WQX18 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory