Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Little Muskego Lake

NR
Not yet rated
15.5 ft clear · Oligotrophic · 470 acres
Limited DataOligotrophic

Little Muskego Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. 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 →

Clarity
15.5 ft
Max depth
65 ft
Area
470 acres
Public access
Yes

Next lake in Waukesha County

Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.

Loading map…

Why Little Muskego Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Little Muskego Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by WI DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Watch Little Muskego Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Milwaukee

Get alerts for Little Muskego Lake

Water quality measurements for Little Muskego Lake

These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.

Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. Trophic State Index: 38.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)15.5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)38Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay 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

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 →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Muskego Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Little Muskego Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Present)Walleye(Present)

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth65 ft
Surface Area470 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
13 sq mi
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Elevation
791 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

4
Boat Landings
Yes
Public 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

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Little Muskego 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.

Chinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-MilfoilHybrid Eurasian / Northern Water-MilfoilZebra MusselStarry Stonewort

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 Electric
    Hanover 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.

Graded lakes near Little Muskego Lake

Little Muskego Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

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. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.

What is the water quality grade for Little Muskego Lake?

Little Muskego Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 470 acres.

Is Little Muskego Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Little Muskego Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

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 a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Little Muskego Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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.

State Parks Near Little Muskego Lake

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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX1 sample · 2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

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

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