Little Fork Lake
Oneida County, Wisconsin336 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Fork Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Rusty Crayfish
- 34 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Fork Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 336 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Little Fork Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Fork Lake is a 336-acre mesotrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 34 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 66 other monitored lakes in Oneida County, Little Fork Lake ranks #50 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-03-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Fork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Little Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Fork 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 Fork Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Fork 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 ft. Phosphorus 21.2 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21.2µg/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. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Fork Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Fork Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in Mar (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Fork Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Little Fork Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Fork Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
336 acres
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Stays near Little Fork Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Fork Lake
- → Little Fork Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Fork Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Fork Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Fork Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.3 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Little Fork Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007338 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Oneida County
Frequently asked questions about Little Fork Lake
Where is Little Fork Lake?
- Little Fork 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 Little Fork Lake?
- Little Fork Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 336 acres.
Is Little Fork Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Fork Lake?
- Little Fork Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Fork Lake?
- Little Fork Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 336 acres.
What fish are in Little Fork Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Fork Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Little Fork Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Fork Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Little Fork Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Fork Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Little Fork Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX18 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes