Nugget Lake
Pierce County, Wisconsin116 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Nugget Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Nugget Lake in Pierce County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27.4 µg/L. Surface area: 116 acres.
Nugget Lake is a 116-acre mesotrophic lake in Pierce County, Wisconsin. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Pierce County, Nugget Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Nugget Lake covers about 120 acres in Pierce County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Nugget Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
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 Nugget 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 Nugget Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Nugget Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 27.4 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27.4µg/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. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Nugget Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
116 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Nugget Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Nugget Lake
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Fishing Nugget Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nugget Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Plum Creek 2 (completed 1973), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Plum Creek; earth-type dam, 88 ft tall and 820 ft long.
- Surface area
- 116 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,520 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,460 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Pierce County
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Debris Control.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00382 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Nugget Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Son Bow Farms IncSalem, Town Of · 3 mi away · NPDES WI0062928Recent violation
- Plum City Wastewater Treatment PlantPlum City · 3.3 mi away · NPDES WI0021431Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Pierce County
Frequently asked questions about Nugget Lake
Where is Nugget Lake?
- Nugget Lake is a lake in Pierce County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nugget Lake?
- Nugget Lake in Pierce County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27.4 µg/L. Surface area: 116 acres.
Is Nugget Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Nugget Lake?
- Public access to Nugget Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX6 samples · 2023
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)