Smoke Lake
Oconto County, Wisconsin51 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Smoke Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Smoke Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.8 µg/L. Surface area: 51 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Smoke Lake. DNR survey details →
Smoke Lake is a 51-acre mesotrophic lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 38 other monitored lakes in Oconto County, Smoke Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Smoke Lake covers about 51 acres in Oconto County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Smoke Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
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 Smoke 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 Smoke Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Smoke Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.6 ft. Phosphorus 12.8 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.8µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Smoke Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Smoke Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Jan (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 21 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Smoke Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Smoke Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smoke Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. 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 2015. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Surface area
51 acres
The available depth estimate for Smoke Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Smoke Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Smoke Lake in Oconto 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 Smoke Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Smoke Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.18 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Oconto County
Frequently asked questions about Smoke Lake
Where is Smoke Lake?
- Smoke Lake is a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Smoke Lake?
- Smoke Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.8 µg/L. Surface area: 51 acres.
Is Smoke 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 Smoke Lake?
- Smoke Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 21 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Smoke Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Smoke Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 51 acres.
What fish are in Smoke Lake?
- Fish species found in Smoke Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Smoke Lake is located in Oconto County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Smoke Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Smoke Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smoke Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Smoke Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
50 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_WQX50 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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes