Lower Spring Lake
Jefferson County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Spring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Lower Spring Lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44.1 µg/L.
Lower Spring Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Jefferson County, Lower Spring Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Lower Spring Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 2.5% of 122 samples across 9 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Wisconsin’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Lower Spring 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 Spring Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lower Spring 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 4 ft. Phosphorus 44.1 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44.1µg/L | Fair 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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lower Spring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lower Spring Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2025Lower Spring Lake spring shocking survey, 2025Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2023Lower Spring Lake Spring summary report, 2023Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
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Stays near Lower Spring Lake
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Fishing Lower Spring Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.12 µg/L/yr7 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lower Spring Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Palmyra Wastewater Treatment FacilityPalmyra · 0.8 mi away · NPDES WI0031020Recent violation
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 Jefferson County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Spring Lake
Where is Lower Spring Lake?
- Lower Spring Lake is a lake in Jefferson 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 Spring Lake?
- Lower Spring Lake in Jefferson County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44.1 µg/L.
Is Lower Spring Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Lower Spring Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 2.5% of 122 samples across 9 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Lower Spring Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Wisconsin's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Lower Spring Lake?
- Public access to Lower Spring Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Lower Spring Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
110 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX110 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)