Pike Lake
Washington County, Wisconsin461 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pike Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 3 aquatic invasives
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
Pike Lake in Washington County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 461 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Pike Lake. DNR survey details →
Pike Lake is a 461-acre mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 45 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Pike Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pike Lake covers about 460 acres in Washington County. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Pike Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Pike Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water45 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Pike Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 2.9% of 409 samples across 9 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Wisconsin’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
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.
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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 19.3 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.3µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pike Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pike Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Apr (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pike Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pike Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (7,047 cells/mL) on March 28, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye 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 7 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1986. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Surface area
461 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
991 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake DrivePublic
- Second StreetPublic
- Reef Point ResortSemi-private
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 Washington 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 16–18, 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.68 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pike Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pike Lake (completed 1870), built primarily for recreation on the TRIB. RUBICON RIVER; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 522 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,040 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,740 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Pike Lake Advancement Association
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00662 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Pike Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Hartford Water Pollution Control FacilityHartford · 2.6 mi away · NPDES WI0020192MajorRecent violation
- Slinger Wastewater Treatment FacilitySlinger · 2.5 mi away · NPDES WI0020290Recent violation
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 Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Pike Lake
Where is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake is a lake in Washington 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 Washington County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 461 acres.
Is Pike Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Pike Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 2.9% of 409 samples across 9 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Pike Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Wisconsin's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 461 acres.
What fish are in Pike Lake?
- Fish species found in Pike Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Pike Lake is located in Washington County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pike Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye 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 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Pike Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pike Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (7,047 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Drive, Second Street, Reef Point Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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 Pike Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
93 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 Resources
WIDNR_WQX93 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