Paulsen Lake
Paulsen Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 12 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- ~20 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Next lake in Polk County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Paulsen Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 20 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 54 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Paulsen Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Paulsen Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus level: 12.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Paulsen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Paulsen Lake in Polk 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 Paulsen 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
Paulsen Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Sep (about 67°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 Paulsen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Paulsen Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Paulsen Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.146 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 55 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Paulsen Lake
Where is Paulsen Lake?
- Paulsen Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Paulsen Lake?
- Paulsen Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
Is Paulsen Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Paulsen Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Paulsen Lake?
- Paulsen Lake typically sits around 75°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 Paulsen Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Paulsen Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 20 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Paulsen Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Polk County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Paulsen Lake
Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX14 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)