Rush Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin43 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Rush Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 7 ft max depth
Rush Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 43 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rush Lake. DNR survey details →
Rush Lake is a 43-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 7 feet. Overall water quality is improving 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, Rush Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-10-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rush Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 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 Rush 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 Rush Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Rush Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 19.8 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.8µg/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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Rush Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rush Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rush 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 2019. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Surface area
43 acres
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Stays near Rush Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Rush Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.73 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Rush Lake
Where is Rush Lake?
- Rush 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 Rush Lake?
- Rush Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 43 acres.
Is Rush Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rush Lake?
- Rush Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 43 acres.
What fish are in Rush Lake?
- Fish species found in Rush Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Rush Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rush Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rush Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rush 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.
Explore Rush Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
57 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_WQX57 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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes