Pella Lake
Shawano County, Wisconsin49 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pella Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pella Lake in Shawano County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 49 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Smallmouth Bass as common on Pella Lake. DNR survey details →
Pella Lake is a 49-acre lake in Shawano County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-06-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pella Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pella Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pella 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 Pella Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Pella Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 63.7 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 63.7µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| 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. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Pella Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Smallmouth Bass as common on Pella Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pella Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2022).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Pella 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).
- 2022Pella Pond spring netting survey, 2022Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
13 ft
Surface area
49 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
366 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
843 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pella PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Pella Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pella 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-26.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pella Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pella (completed 1883), built primarily for recreation on the EMBARRASS; gravity-type dam, 18 ft tall and 213 ft long.
- Surface area
- 69 ac
- Normal storage
- 315 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 460 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 334 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- TOWN OF PELLA
All listed purposes: Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00202 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pella Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10000009 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Pella Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Caroline Sd 1 Wastewater Treatment FacilityGrant · 3.3 mi away · NPDES WI0022829Recent violation
- Oak Grove Dairy IncPella · 1.8 mi away · NPDES WI0052957
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 Shawano County
Frequently asked questions about Pella Lake
Where is Pella Lake?
- Pella Lake is a lake in Shawano County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pella Lake?
- Pella Lake in Shawano County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 49 acres.
Is Pella Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pella Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pella Lake?
- Pella Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 49 acres.
What fish are in Pella Lake?
- Fish species found in Pella Lake include Panfish, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike. Pella Lake is located in Shawano County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pella Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Smallmouth Bass as common on Pella Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pella Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Pella Lake?
- Pella Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pella Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pella Lake?
- Pella 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.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX7 samples · 2021–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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