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LakeQuality
C

Musser Lake

Price County, WisconsinEutrophic

Musser Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. High phosphorus is the leading drag on the score — likely from upland agriculture, lawn runoff, or in-lake sediment release.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake bottoms out at 15 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Musser Lake covers 503 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 26 graded lakes of Price County, Musser Lake sits at rank 24, near the bottom of the county list.

Musser Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Walleye are documented at Musser Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Musser Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 61.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 53.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.2 ftB
Phosphorus61.7 µg/LD
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)53Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth15 ft
Surface Area503 acres
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

Click a species to see all Wisconsin and Minnesota lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Musser Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Musser Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Musser Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Invasive Species

Chinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-Milfoil

Water Quality Trend: Stable

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

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.296 m/yr3
Phosphorus Declining+5.9 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #24 of 26 lakes in Price County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Musser Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher grade.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Price County

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Good · Reservoir lake
Trophic State Index 59 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

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.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Most recent sample: 2025-09-02

Monitoring stations: 1