Porters Lake
Waushara County, Wisconsin76 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Porters Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Purple Loosestrife
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
Porters Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 76 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Porters Lake. DNR survey details →
Porters Lake is a 76-acre mesotrophic lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Waushara County, Porters Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Porters Lake covers about 76 acres in Waushara County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Porters Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Porters Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
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 Porters 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 Porters Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Porters 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 11.3 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Porters Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Porters Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Porters Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 1976. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Porters 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).
- 2021Porters Lake spring shocking survey, 2021Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
76 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
879 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Porters 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 Porters Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Porters Lake in Waushara 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 Porters 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 Porters Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Porters 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 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.39 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Waushara County
Frequently asked questions about Porters Lake
Where is Porters Lake?
- Porters Lake is a lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Porters Lake?
- Porters Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 76 acres.
Is Porters Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Porters Lake?
- Porters Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 76 acres.
What fish are in Porters Lake?
- Fish species found in Porters Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Porters Lake is located in Waushara County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Porters Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Porters Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Porters Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Porters Lake?
- Porters Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Porters Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Porters Lake?
- Porters 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 Porters Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
55 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_WQX55 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
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