Pickerel Lake
Pickerel Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
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Pickerel Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Pickerel Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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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.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 27 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Pickerel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 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 Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +3.383 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.09 µg/L/yr | 3 |
County Ranking
Ranked #32 of 39 lakes in Oconto County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Pickerel Lake holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Oconto County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Pickerel Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pickerel Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Pickerel Lake across LakeQuality
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High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX12 samples · 2021–2022
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)