Potato Lake
Potato Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
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Why Potato Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Potato Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by WI DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Potato Lake is a lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Potato Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 61.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Potato Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Potato Lake in Rusk 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 Potato Lake
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DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Potato 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).
- 2021Potato Lake netting and shocking survey 2019, 2021Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Potato Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Potato LakePublic
- Potato LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Potato Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Potato Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10009222 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Potato Lake
Potato Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rusk County
Frequently asked questions about Potato Lake
Where is Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake is a lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
Is Potato Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Potato Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Potato Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Potato Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Potato Lake, Potato Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX17 samples · 2026
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory