Paya Lake
Oconto County, Wisconsin105 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Paya Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Rusty Crayfish
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Paya Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 105 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Paya Lake. DNR survey details →
Paya Lake is a 105-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Paya Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Paya Lake covers about 110 acres in Oconto County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Paya Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Paya Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water40 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 Paya 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 Paya Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Paya 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 20 ft down. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Paya Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Paya Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Paya Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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 1996. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Paya Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2015Paya Lake fishery survey 2015Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2015 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
105 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
54 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,171 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Paya LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Paya Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Paya Lake in Oconto 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 Paya Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Paya Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Paya 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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.51 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Oconto County
Frequently asked questions about Paya Lake
Where is Paya Lake?
- Paya Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Paya Lake?
- Paya Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 105 acres.
Is Paya Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Paya Lake?
- Paya Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 105 acres.
What fish are in Paya Lake?
- Fish species found in Paya Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass. Paya Lake is located in Oconto County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Paya Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Paya Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Paya Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Paya Lake?
- Paya Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Paya Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Paya Lake?
- Paya Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Paya Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
37 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_WQX37 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory