Where is School Section Lake?

School Section Lake is a lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is School Section Lake?

School Section Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 122 acres.

What fish are in School Section Lake?

Fish species found in School Section Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. School Section Lake is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on School Section Lake?

School Section Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include School Section Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at School Section Lake?

School Section 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.

School Section Lake

Waukesha County, Wisconsin122 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for School Section Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

6.2 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

26.2 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Max depth

8 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

122 acres

Surface area

Type

Eutrophic

Trophic class

Trend

Improving

6 years of samples

Eutrophic
2 aquatic invasives
8 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

School Section Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 122 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on School Section Lake. DNR survey details →

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School Section Lake is a 122-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 8 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 34 other monitored lakes in Waukesha County, School Section Lake ranks #21 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-03-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

School Section Lake covers about 120 acres in Waukesha County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around School Section Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.

What School Section Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing3 species recorded

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low 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 School Section 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.

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Water quality measurements for School Section Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for School Section 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 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 26.2 µg/L. TSI 51.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	6.2ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	26.2µg/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 School Section Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on School Section Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows School Section 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2026).

DNR Assessment

Good · Shallow Lowland lake

Trophic State Index 54 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

8 ft

Surface area

122 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

11 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

2 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

856 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

School Section 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 School Section Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near School Section Lake in Waukesha 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 School Section Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 School Section Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing School Section 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.

Curly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-MilfoilPurple Loosestrife

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

Water clarity
Improving
6 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-1.79 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

School Section Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the School Section Lake (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the U/N Tributary to Bark R.; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 2,900 ft long.

Surface area: 117 ac
Normal storage: 230 ac-ft
Max storage: 700 ac-ft
Drainage area: 2 sq mi
Hazard class: Low
Owner: Waukesha County

All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01142 · Operator website

Nearby Lakes in Waukesha County

Pretty Lake12.2 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Larkin Lake—View →Hunters Lake9.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Ottawa Lake13 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Dutchman Lake—View →Golden Lake12.8 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →

Frequently asked questions about School Section Lake

Where is School Section Lake?: School Section Lake is a lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of School Section Lake?: School Section Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 122 acres.
Is School Section Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is School Section Lake?: School Section Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 122 acres.
What fish are in School Section Lake?: Fish species found in School Section Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. School Section Lake is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at School Section Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on School Section Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows School Section 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.
Are there boat ramps on School Section Lake?: School Section Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include School Section Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at School Section Lake?: School Section 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 School Section Lake across LakeQuality

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State Parks Near School Section Lake

Aztalan State Park

State Park · 19 mi

Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Blue Spring Lake

Jefferson County · 6.2 ft

Booth Lake

Walworth County · 8 ft

Pleasant Lake

Walworth County · 12 ft

Green Lake

Walworth County · 11 ft

Army Lake

Walworth County · 8.2 ft

Middle Lake

Walworth County · 10 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Lower Spring Lake Blue Spring Lake Swift Lake Potter Lake

Where this data comes from

48 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX48 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-683251

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