Musser Lake
Price County, Wisconsin503 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Musser Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Musser Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 503 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Musser Lake. DNR survey details →
Musser Lake is a 503-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Price County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Price County, Musser Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Musser Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Musser Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Musser 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 Musser Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Musser 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 3.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 61.7 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 61.7µg/L | Poor 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. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Musser Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Musser Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Apr (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Musser Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Musser Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Musser Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Musser Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2025Musser Flowage netting and shocking survey, 2025Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2024Musser Flowage netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
503 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
80 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
7.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,486 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Musser LakePublic
- Musser LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Musser Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Musser Lake in Price 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Musser Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Musser Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Musser Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Musser 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5.9 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Musser Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Musser (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the BIG ELK; gravity-type dam, 21 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 563 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,790 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 83 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Price County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00180 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Musser Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003557 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Price County
Frequently asked questions about Musser Lake
Where is Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake is a lake in Price County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 503 acres.
Is Musser Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Musser Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 503 acres.
What fish are in Musser Lake?
- Fish species found in Musser Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Musser Lake is located in Price County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Musser Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Musser Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Musser Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Musser Lake, Musser Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Musser Lake?
- Musser 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 Musser Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Price County
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
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Compare Musser Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
34 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_WQX34 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
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