Murphy Flowage Lake
Rusk County, Wisconsin169 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Murphy Flowage Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Murphy Flowage Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 169 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Murphy Flowage Lake. DNR survey details →
Murphy Flowage Lake is a 169-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Rusk County, Murphy Flowage Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Murphy Flowage Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Murphy Flowage 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 Murphy Flowage Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Murphy Flowage Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 33.4 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 33.4µg/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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Murphy Flowage Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Murphy Flowage Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Murphy Flowage Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2022).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
169 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- MurphyPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Murphy Flowage Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Murphy Flowage Lake
- → Murphy Flowage Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Murphy Flowage Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Murphy Flowage Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Murphy Flowage Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Murphy Flowage Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Murphy (completed 1994), built primarily for recreation on the Hemlock Creek; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall and 175 ft long.
- Surface area
- 188 ac
- Max storage
- 3,279 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Rusk County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01204 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Rusk County
Frequently asked questions about Murphy Flowage Lake
Where is Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Murphy Flowage Lake is a lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Murphy Flowage Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 169 acres.
Is Murphy Flowage Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Murphy Flowage Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 169 acres.
What fish are in Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Fish species found in Murphy Flowage Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Trout. Murphy Flowage Lake is located in Rusk County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Murphy Flowage Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Murphy Flowage Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Murphy Flowage Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Murphy. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Murphy Flowage Lake?
- Murphy Flowage 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 Murphy Flowage Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX9 samples · 2022
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