Little Muskego Lake
Waukesha County, Wisconsin470 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Muskego Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Muskego Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 470 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Muskego Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Muskego Lake is a 470-acre lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Muskego Lake covers about 470 acres in Waukesha County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Little Muskego Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Little Muskego Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Muskego 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 Muskego Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Muskego Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Muskego Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Muskego Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Muskego Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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. 9 stations on file (most recent sample 2023).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
470 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
13 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
5.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
791 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Idle Isle ParkPublic
- Pleasant View Drive (Lake #9)Public
- Oak CourtPublic
- Hillview DrivePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Muskego Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Muskego Lake in Waukesha 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 Muskego Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 Little Muskego Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Muskego Lake
- → Little Muskego Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Muskego Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Muskego Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Muskego 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.
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Muskego Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Muskego (completed 1972), built primarily for recreation on the MUSKEGO CREEK; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 750 ft long.
- Surface area
- 506 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 11.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City Of Muskego
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00703 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Little Muskego Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Mallard Lake ElectricHanover Park · 3.2 mi away · NPDES IL0072460
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 Waukesha County
Frequently asked questions about Little Muskego Lake
Where is Little Muskego Lake?
- Little Muskego Lake is a lake in Waukesha 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 Muskego Lake?
- Little Muskego Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 470 acres.
Is Little Muskego Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Muskego Lake?
- Little Muskego Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 470 acres.
What fish are in Little Muskego Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Muskego Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Little Muskego Lake is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Muskego Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Muskego Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Muskego Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Muskego Lake?
- Little Muskego Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Idle Isle Park, Pleasant View Drive (Lake #9), Oak Court, Hillview Drive. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Muskego Lake?
- Little Muskego Lake has 4 documented boat landings 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.
Explore Little Muskego 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 Waukesha County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX1 sample · 2023
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory