Pipe Lake
Polk County, Wisconsin293 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pipe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 68 ft max depth
- Public access
Pipe Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 68 ft. Surface area: 293 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pipe Lake. DNR survey details →
Pipe Lake is a 293-acre mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 68 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 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 54 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Pipe Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pipe Lake covers about 290 acres in Polk County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Pipe Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Pipe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water68 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Pipe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pipe 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 Pipe Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Pipe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 14.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.1µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pipe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pipe Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pipe 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 1994. 4 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
68 ft
Surface area
293 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Pipe 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 Pipe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pipe Lake in Polk 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 Pipe Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pipe 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-3.1 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Pipe 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: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10026579 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Pipe Lake
Where is Pipe Lake?
- Pipe Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pipe Lake?
- Pipe Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 68 ft. Surface area: 293 acres.
Is Pipe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pipe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pipe Lake?
- Pipe Lake has a maximum depth of 68 feet. The lake covers 293 acres.
What fish are in Pipe Lake?
- Fish species found in Pipe Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Pipe Lake is located in Polk County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pipe Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pipe Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pipe 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.
Are there boat ramps on Pipe Lake?
- Pipe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pipe Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pipe Lake?
- Pipe 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 Pipe Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Polk County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
77 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_WQX77 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory