Little Cedar Lake
Little Cedar Lake in Washington County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 10.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- ~64 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Washington County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Little Cedar Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 64 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Little Cedar Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow 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
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 12.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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
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
Little Cedar Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. 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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~64 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
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
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.
Recreation & Access
- Ackermans Grove County ParkPublic
- Silver LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Little Cedar 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.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.555 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.59 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Cedar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10008013 · Official waterbody report
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 13 lakes in Washington County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Little Cedar Lake holds Grade B. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
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. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake in Washington County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.1 µg/L.
Is Little Cedar Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Little Cedar Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, 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.
Are there boat ramps on Little Cedar Lake?
- Little Cedar Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ackermans Grove County Park, Silver Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Cedar Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Washington County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Little Cedar Lake
Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
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)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory