Musser Lake
Musser Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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 →
- Clarity
- 3.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 70°F
- Max depth
- 15 ft
- Area
- 503 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Musser Lake →
Next lake in Price County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Musser Lake is a 503-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Price County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2026. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Musser Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 61.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 61.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Musser Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Musser Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Musser Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Musser Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 503 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
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
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -3.25 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5.9 µg/L/yr | 6 |
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003557 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #13 of 13 lakes in Price County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Musser Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Price County
Frequently asked questions about Musser Lake
Where is Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake is a lake in Price County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Musser Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Musser Lake?
- Musser Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, 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 a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Musser Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.
Explore Musser Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded 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 grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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