Pickerel Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin270 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickerel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
Pickerel Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Pickerel Lake. DNR survey details →
Pickerel Lake is a 270-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Pickerel Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Pickerel Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Pickerel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pickerel Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Pickerel Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
270 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,634 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pickerel LakePublic
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 Pickerel Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pickerel 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2021–2026).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.25 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Pickerel 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: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007694 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 270 acres.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
- Fish species found in Pickerel Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Pickerel Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pickerel Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Pickerel Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Pickerel Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pickerel Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pickerel Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
29 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX29 samples · 2021–2026
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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