Spooner Lake
Washburn County, Wisconsin1,132 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Spooner Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Spooner Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 1132 acres.
Spooner Lake is a 1,132-acre mesotrophic lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 26 other monitored lakes in Washburn County, Spooner Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spooner Lake covers about 1,100 acres in Washburn County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Spooner Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Spooner Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Big water1,132 acres
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 Spooner 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 Spooner Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Spooner 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 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 22.7 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22.7µg/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. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spooner Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
1,132 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
27 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
9.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,076 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spooner Lake - Golf CoursePublic
- Spooner 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 Spooner Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spooner Lake in Washburn 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 Spooner Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spooner 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: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.08 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Spooner Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Spooner Lake (completed 1884), built primarily for recreation on the YELLOW; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,092 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,480 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Washburn County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00665 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Washburn County
Frequently asked questions about Spooner Lake
Where is Spooner Lake?
- Spooner Lake is a lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spooner Lake?
- Spooner Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 1132 acres.
Is Spooner Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Spooner Lake?
- Spooner Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 1132 acres.
What fish are in Spooner Lake?
- Fish species found in Spooner Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Spooner Lake is located in Washburn County, Wisconsin.
Are there boat ramps on Spooner Lake?
- Spooner Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spooner Lake - Golf Course, Spooner Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spooner Lake?
- Spooner Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Spooner Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Washburn County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX26 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Turbidity in Water
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
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