Where is Horsehead Lake?

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

What is the water temperature of Horsehead Lake?

Horsehead Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Horsehead Lake?

Horsehead Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 377 acres.

What fish are in Horsehead Lake?

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

Are there boat ramps on Horsehead Lake?

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

Can I fish at Horsehead Lake?

Horsehead Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Horsehead Lake

Oneida County, Wisconsin377 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

6.5 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

29.9 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Water temp

~69°F

Typical for Aug · EPA WQP

Max depth

11 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

377 acres

Surface area

Type

Eutrophic

Trophic class

Eutrophic
Curly-Leaf Pondweed
11 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Horsehead Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 377 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Horsehead Lake. DNR survey details →

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Horsehead Lake is a 377-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 66 other monitored lakes in Oneida County, Horsehead Lake ranks #63 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.

What Horsehead Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing3 species recorded

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Moderate 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 Horsehead 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Minocqua →

Get alerts for Horsehead Lake →

Water quality measurements for Horsehead Lake

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

Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 29.9 µg/L. TSI 52.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	6.5ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	29.9µg/L	Fair 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.	52	Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Horsehead Lake

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

Water Temperature

Horsehead Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

56°

May

78°

Jun

81°

Jul

69°

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (81°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 19 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horsehead Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Horsehead Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horsehead 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 1988. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Good · Shallow Headwater lake

Trophic State Index 53 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

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

Lake Details

Max depth

11 ft

Surface area

377 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

5 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

4.5 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,578 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Horsehead LakePublic

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

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Horsehead Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horsehead Lake in Oneida 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 Horsehead Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Horsehead Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

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Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike

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

Fishing Horsehead 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.

Banded Mystery SnailChinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-Milfoil

Water Quality Trend: Improving

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

Water clarity
Improving
7 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-4.4 µg/L/yr7 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Oneida County

North Two Lakes—View →Eagle Lake—View →South Two Lakes—View →Hodstradt Lake17.8 ft clear—View →McNaughton Lake—View →Dorothy Lake17 ft clear—View →

Frequently asked questions about Horsehead Lake

Where is Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake is a lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 377 acres.
Is Horsehead 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 Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 377 acres.
What fish are in Horsehead Lake?: Fish species found in Horsehead Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Horsehead Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horsehead Lake?: Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Horsehead Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horsehead 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.
Are there boat ramps on Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Horsehead Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

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Where this data comes from

49 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX49 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (2)

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.