Milwaukee River Lake
Milwaukee County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Milwaukee River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Milwaukee River Lake in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L.
Milwaukee River Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-11-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Milwaukee River Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: exceedances
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, Milwaukee River Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 16% of 125 samples across 8 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 Milwaukee River 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 Milwaukee River Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Milwaukee River 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 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 54µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 15µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Milwaukee River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Milwaukee River Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 72°F) and coldest in Mar (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (43°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 246 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Milwaukee River Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Milwaukee River Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Milwaukee River Lake in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee River Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Milwaukee River Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Milwaukee River Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+8.25 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Milwaukee County
Frequently asked questions about Milwaukee River Lake
Where is Milwaukee River Lake?
- Milwaukee River Lake is a lake in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Milwaukee River Lake?
- Milwaukee River Lake in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L.
Is Milwaukee River Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Milwaukee River Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 16% of 125 samples across 8 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 Milwaukee River 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.
What is the water temperature of Milwaukee River Lake?
- Milwaukee River Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in October, from 246 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Milwaukee River Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Wisconsin
State Parks Near Milwaukee River Lake
Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
1,450 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
WI_MMSD1,450 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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