Parker Lake
Adams County, Wisconsin57 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Parker Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Parker Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 57 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Parker Lake. DNR survey details →
Parker Lake is a 57-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Adams County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Adams County, Parker Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Parker Lake covers about 57 acres in Adams County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Parker Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Parker Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Parker 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 Parker Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Parker Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17 ft down. Phosphorus 14.8 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.8µg/L | Good 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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Parker Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Parker Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1990. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
57 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
906 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Parker Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Parker Lake in Adams 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Parker Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Parker 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: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.7 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about Parker Lake
Where is Parker Lake?
- Parker Lake is a lake in Adams County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Parker Lake?
- Parker Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 57 acres.
Is Parker Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Parker Lake?
- Parker Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 57 acres.
What fish are in Parker Lake?
- Fish species found in Parker Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Parker Lake is located in Adams County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Parker Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Parker Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Parker Lake?
- Public access to Parker 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.
Explore Parker Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX28 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes