Porcupine Lake
Florence County, Wisconsin36 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Porcupine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Purple Loosestrife
- 20 ft max depth
Porcupine Lake in Florence County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 36 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Porcupine Lake. DNR survey details →
Porcupine Lake is a 36-acre mesotrophic lake in Florence County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Florence County, Porcupine Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Porcupine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Porcupine 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 Porcupine Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Porcupine 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 ft. Phosphorus 13.4 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.4µg/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 Porcupine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Porcupine Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Porcupine 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. Monitored by volunteers since 2007. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
36 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,542 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Porcupine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Porcupine Lake in Florence 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 Porcupine Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Porcupine 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 (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.26 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Florence County
Frequently asked questions about Porcupine Lake
Where is Porcupine Lake?
- Porcupine Lake is a lake in Florence County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Porcupine Lake?
- Porcupine Lake in Florence County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 36 acres.
Is Porcupine Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Porcupine Lake?
- Porcupine Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 36 acres.
What fish are in Porcupine Lake?
- Fish species found in Porcupine Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Porcupine Lake is located in Florence County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Porcupine Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Porcupine Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Porcupine 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.
Explore Porcupine Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Florence County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
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
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX46 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes