Where is Matthews Lake?

Matthews Lake is a lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Is Matthews Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Matthews Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Matthews Lake?

Matthews Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in July, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Matthews Lake?

Matthews Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 267 acres.

What fish are in Matthews Lake?

Fish species found in Matthews Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Matthews Lake is located in Washburn County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on Matthews Lake?

Matthews Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Matthews Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Are there campgrounds on Matthews Lake?

Matthews Lake has 5 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Byrkits Landing, Campground, Howell Landing, Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.

Matthews Lake

Grade B — Good

Good · #14 of 27 lakes in the county · 13.3 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 267 acres · ↓ from A

Mesotrophic

Matthews Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 267 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Matthews Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity: 13.3 ft
Typical in July: 78°F
Max depth: 26 ft
Area: 267 acres
Type: Mesotrophic
Trend: → Stable
Public access: Yes

Where to stay →Safe to swim?

Next lake in Washburn County

BMclain Lake9.5 ft clear · Washburn CountyView →

PrevLake Nancy Where to stay NextMclain Lake

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Matthews Lake is a 267-acre mesotrophic lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. 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 26 other monitored lakes in Washburn County, Matthews Lake ranks #14 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Hayward →

Get alerts for Matthews Lake →

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Good clarity, visible to about 13.3 ft. Phosphorus level: 13.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	13.3 ft	Not graded
Phosphorus	13.7 µg/L	Good
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)	41	Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Matthews Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Matthews Lake in Washburn 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 Matthews 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 →

Water Temperature

Matthews Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in July. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

45°

May

60°

Jun

71°

Jul

78°

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Matthews Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Matthews Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Matthews Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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 1997. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Excellent · Shallow Seepage lake

Trophic State Index 43 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Abundant)Largemouth Bass(Abundant)Musky(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Common)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Maximum Depth	26 ft
Surface Area	267 acres
Public Access	Yes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

2 sq mi

Shoreline

2.5 mi

Elevation

981 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Campgrounds

Matthews LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Public campgrounds near Matthews Lake

Byrkits Landing2.3 km
Campground3.9 km
Howell Landing4.0 km
Campground4.1 km
Campground4.4 km

Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes

Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye

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

Fishing Matthews 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 Snail

Water Quality Trend: → Stable

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Water Clarity	→ Stable	-0.062 m/yr	7
Phosphorus	→ Stable	-0.08 µg/L/yr	6

See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #14 of 27 lakes in Washburn County

Nearby Lakes in Washburn County

BMclain Lake9.5 ft clear · MesotrophicView →BSouth Twin Lake14 ft clear · OligotrophicView →NRMiddle Twin Lake at7.5 ft clearView →BNorth Twin Lake9 ft clear · MesotrophicView →BLake Nancy14 ft clear · MesotrophicView →NRIsland Lake14.5 ft clearView →

Frequently asked questions about Matthews Lake

Where is Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake is a lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 267 acres.
Is Matthews Lake safe to swim in?: Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Matthews Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in July, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 267 acres.
What fish are in Matthews Lake?: Fish species found in Matthews Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Matthews Lake is located in Washburn County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Matthews Lake?: Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Matthews Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Matthews Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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 Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Matthews Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Matthews Lake?: Matthews Lake has 5 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Byrkits Landing, Campground, Howell Landing, Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.

Explore Matthews Lake across LakeQuality

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Grade A/B + low algae filter

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Full state directory

Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin

Middle Mckenzie Lake

Burnett County · 20 ft

Rooney Lake

Burnett County · 11 ft

Fish Lake

Burnett County · 14 ft

Lipsett Lake

Burnett County · 9 ft

Des Moines Lake

Burnett County · 18.9 ft

Long Lake

Burnett County · 21.5 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Rooney Lake Dubois Lake Person Lake Lipsett Lake

Where this data comes from

54 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX54 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-663054

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.