Lower Mckenzie Lake
Washburn County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Mckenzie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
Lower Mckenzie Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L.
Lower Mckenzie Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 58 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 26 other monitored lakes in Washburn County, Lower Mckenzie Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lower Mckenzie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 Lower Mckenzie 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 Lower Mckenzie Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lower Mckenzie 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 11 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lower Mckenzie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Mckenzie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~58 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 Lower Mckenzie Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
36 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
175 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
968 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.
Recreation & Access
- Lower McKenzie LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lower Mckenzie Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Lower Mckenzie Lake
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Fishing Lower Mckenzie Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.25 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Washburn County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Mckenzie Lake
Where is Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- Lower Mckenzie Lake is a lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- Lower Mckenzie Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L.
Is Lower Mckenzie 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 Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- Lower Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lower Mckenzie Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 58 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 Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- Lower Mckenzie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lower McKenzie Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lower Mckenzie Lake?
- Lower Mckenzie Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.
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Where this data comes from
44 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX44 samples · 2020–2026
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory