Mud Lake
Barron County, Wisconsin332 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Mud Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mud Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 332 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mud Lake. DNR survey details →
Mud Lake is a 332-acre lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mud Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Mud Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mud 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 Mud Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Mud Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mud Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mud Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Oct (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mud Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mud Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (2,089,296 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mud Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mud Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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 1987. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
332 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
58 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
5.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,033 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Gifford AvenuePublic
- Greenwald AvenuePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mud Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mud Lake in Barron 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 Mud Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Mud Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mud 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Mud Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10024769 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Barron County
Frequently asked questions about Mud Lake
Where is Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake is a lake in Barron County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 332 acres.
Is Mud Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Mud Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 332 acres.
What fish are in Mud Lake?
- Fish species found in Mud Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Mud Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mud Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mud Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mud Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Mud Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mud Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (2,089,296 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gifford Avenue, Greenwald Avenue. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mud Lake?
- Mud Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Mud Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX7 samples · 2024–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory