Legend Lake
Menominee County, Wisconsin1,304 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Legend Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Legend Lake in Menominee County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.7 µg/L. Surface area: 1304 acres.
Legend Lake is a 1,304-acre mesotrophic lake in Menominee County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Menominee County, Legend Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Legend Lake covers about 1,300 acres in Menominee County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Legend Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Legend Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Big water1,304 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Legend 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.
Water quality measurements for Legend Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Legend Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus 13.7 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.7µg/L | Good 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Legend Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Legend Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Feb (about 39°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (39°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 52 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Legend Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
1,304 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Legend Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Legend Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Legend Lake in Menominee 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 Legend Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Legend Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.08 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Legend Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Legend Lake Number One (completed 1968), built primarily for recreation on the TR WOLF; earth-type dam, 21 ft tall and 190 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,304 ac
- Normal storage
- 12,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 20,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Legend Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00235 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Menominee County
Frequently asked questions about Legend Lake
Where is Legend Lake?
- Legend Lake is a lake in Menominee County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Legend Lake?
- Legend Lake in Menominee County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.7 µg/L. Surface area: 1304 acres.
Is Legend 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 Legend Lake?
- Legend Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 52 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Legend Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Menominee County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Wolf River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Wisconsin
Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
406 measurements from 11 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX406 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (11)
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.