Little Cedar Lake
Washington County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Cedar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Cedar Lake in Washington County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.1 µg/L.
Little Cedar Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 64 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Little Cedar Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Cedar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
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 Little Cedar 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 Little Cedar Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Cedar 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 12.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.1µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Cedar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Cedar Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Mar (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Cedar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~64 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Little Cedar Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
227 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,014 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Cedar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Cedar Lake in Washington 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 Little Cedar Lake
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Follow Little Cedar Lake’s readings
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Fishing Little Cedar Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2023–2026).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.59 µg/L/yr4 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Little Cedar Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Sysco Food Services Of Eastern WisconsinJackson · 4.5 mi away · NPDES WI0063231
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 Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Little Cedar Lake
Where is Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake is a lake in Washington County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake in Washington County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.1 µg/L.
Is Little Cedar 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 Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Cedar Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Little Cedar Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 64 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Little Cedar Lake?
- Public access to Little Cedar Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Explore Little Cedar Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX70 samples · 2023–2026
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.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)