Marl Lake
Waupaca County, Wisconsin14 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Marl Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Zebra Mussel
- 59 ft max depth
- Public access
Marl Lake in Waupaca County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 14 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Marl Lake. DNR survey details →
Marl Lake is a 14-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Waupaca County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 59 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Waupaca County, Marl Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Marl Lake covers about 14 acres in Waupaca County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Marl Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Marl Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.6 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water59 ft surveyed max depth
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 Marl 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 Marl Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Marl 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 13.6 ft. Phosphorus 10.3 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.3µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Marl Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Marl Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Marl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1994. 11 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
59 ft
Surface area
14 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Marl Lake LimitedPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Marl Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Marl Lake in Waupaca 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 Marl Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Marl 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.32 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Marl Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hartman Creek Number One (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the HARTMAN CREEK; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 22 ac
- Normal storage
- 103 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 225 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00339 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.91 km)
Nearby Lakes in Waupaca County
Frequently asked questions about Marl Lake
Where is Marl Lake?
- Marl Lake is a lake in Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Marl Lake?
- Marl Lake in Waupaca County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 14 acres.
Is Marl Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Marl Lake?
- Marl Lake has a maximum depth of 59 feet. The lake covers 14 acres.
What fish are in Marl Lake?
- Fish species found in Marl Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Marl Lake is located in Waupaca County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Marl Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Marl Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Marl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Marl Lake?
- Marl Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Marl Lake Limited. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Marl Lake?
- Marl 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.
Explore Marl Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
27 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_WQX27 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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory