Shepard Lake
Oneida County, Wisconsin179 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Shepard Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 18 ft max depth
- Limited data
Shepard Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 179 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Shepard Lake. DNR survey details →
Shepard Lake is a 179-acre lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Northern Pike.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shepard Lake covers about 180 acres in Oneida County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Shepard Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Shepard Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shepard 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 Shepard Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Shepard 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 4.5 ft. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shepard Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shepard Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shepard Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Shepard Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shepard Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. 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 2017. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
179 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,572 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shepard Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shepard Lake in Oneida 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 Shepard 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 Shepard Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shepard 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: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.2 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Oneida County
Frequently asked questions about Shepard Lake
Where is Shepard Lake?
- Shepard Lake is a lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shepard Lake?
- Shepard Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 179 acres.
Is Shepard Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shepard Lake?
- Shepard Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shepard Lake?
- Shepard Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 179 acres.
What fish are in Shepard Lake?
- Fish species found in Shepard Lake include Musky, Panfish, Northern Pike, Walleye. Shepard Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shepard Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Shepard Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shepard Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Shepard Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
67 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX67 samples · 2020–2026
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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