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LakeQuality

Pike Lake

Marathon County, Wisconsin204 acresView mapDirections

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pike Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
5 ft
Typical for Wisconsin
Secchi · sampled 2026
Phosphorus
29.3 µg/L
Typical for Wisconsin
Measured by Wisconsin DNR
Water temp
~64°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Max depth
34 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
204 acres
Surface area
Type
Eutrophic
Trophic class
  • Eutrophic
  • 2 aquatic invasives
  • 34 ft max depth
  • Public access

Pike Lake in Marathon County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 204 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Pike Lake. DNR survey details →

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Pike Lake is a 204-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Marathon County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Marathon County, Pike Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Pike Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Fishing4 species recorded
  • Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Moderate 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 Pike 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.

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Water quality measurements for Pike Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Pike 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 5 ft. Phosphorus 29.3 µg/L. TSI 53.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)5ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus29.3µg/LFair
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.53Eutrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Pike Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Pike Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
51°
Apr
May
Jun
78°
Jul
73°
Aug
64°
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (78°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pike Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Pike Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2026).

DNR Assessment
Fair · Deep Lowland lake
Trophic State Index 58 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Abundant)Largemouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Common)

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Pike 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).

Lake Details

Max depth

34 ft

Surface area

204 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

3 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

2.1 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,234 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Pike 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 Pike Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pike Lake in Marathon 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 Pike 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 Pike Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Pike 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.

Banded Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedRusty Crayfish

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

  • Water clarity

    Stable

    6 years

  • Phosphorus

    Stable

    +0.1 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Pike Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Hatley Wastewater Treatment Facility
    Hatley · 4.9 mi away · NPDES WI0036803
    Recent violation
  • Ostrowski Farms, Inc.
    Elderon, Town Of · 4.3 mi away · NPDES WI0062367

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 Marathon County

Frequently asked questions about Pike Lake

Where is Pike Lake?

Pike Lake is a lake in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Pike Lake?

Pike Lake in Marathon County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 204 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Pike Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Pike Lake?

Pike Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

How deep is Pike Lake?

Pike Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 204 acres.

What fish are in Pike Lake?

Fish species found in Pike Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Pike Lake is located in Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pike Lake?

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Pike Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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.

DNR on this page ↑

Are there boat ramps on Pike Lake?

Pike Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pike Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Pike Lake?

Pike 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.

Access on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

76 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX76 samples · 2020–2026

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

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