Peppermill Lake
Adams County, Wisconsin53 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Peppermill Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
Peppermill Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12.5 ft. Surface area: 53 acres.
Peppermill Lake is a 53-acre mesotrophic lake in Adams County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Adams County, Peppermill Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Peppermill Lake covers about 53 acres in Adams County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Peppermill Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Peppermill Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Peppermill 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 Peppermill Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Peppermill 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 25.9 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 | 25.9µg/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 Peppermill Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Peppermill 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).
- 2022Peppermill Lake spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
12.5 ft
Surface area
53 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
915 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Peppermill 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 Peppermill Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Peppermill 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 Peppermill Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Peppermill Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Peppermill 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: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.04 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Peppermill Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Peppermill (completed 1969), built primarily for recreation on the PEPPERMILL CREEK; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 275 ft long.
- Surface area
- 80 ac
- Normal storage
- 200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Adams County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00464 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about Peppermill Lake
Where is Peppermill Lake?
- Peppermill 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 Peppermill Lake?
- Peppermill Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12.5 ft. Surface area: 53 acres.
Is Peppermill Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Peppermill Lake?
- Peppermill Lake has a maximum depth of 12.5 feet. The lake covers 53 acres.
What fish are in Peppermill Lake?
- Fish species found in Peppermill Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Peppermill Lake is located in Adams County, Wisconsin.
Are there boat ramps on Peppermill Lake?
- Peppermill Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Peppermill Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Peppermill Lake?
- Peppermill 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 Peppermill Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX40 samples · 2020–2026
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