Pokegama Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin1,041 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pokegama Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Rusty Crayfish
- 65 ft max depth
- Limited data
Pokegama Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 1041 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pokegama Lake. DNR survey details →
Pokegama Lake is a 1,041-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 65 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Pokegama Lake ranks #78 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-07-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pokegama Lake covers about 1,000 acres in Vilas County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Pokegama Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Pokegama Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,041 acres
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, Pokegama Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 11 samples across 6 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 Pokegama 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 Pokegama Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Pokegama Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pokegama Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pokegama Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pokegama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. 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 2019).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
1,041 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pokegama Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Pokegama Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pokegama 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: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.35 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Pokegama Lake
Where is Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama 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 Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 1041 acres.
Is Pokegama Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Pokegama Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 11 samples across 6 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 Pokegama 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.
How deep is Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 1041 acres.
What fish are in Pokegama Lake?
- Fish species found in Pokegama Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Pokegama Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pokegama Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Pokegama Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pokegama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Pokegama Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Water Program (Tribal)
LDFWATER200710 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes