Thunder Lake
Marinette County, Wisconsin133 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Thunder Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Zebra Mussel
- 62 ft max depth
- Public access
Thunder Lake in Marinette County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Thunder Lake. DNR survey details →
Thunder Lake is a 133-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Marinette County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 62 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Trout. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Marinette County, Thunder Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Thunder Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water62 ft surveyed max depth
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 Thunder 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 Thunder Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Thunder Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus 10.6 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.6µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Thunder Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Thunder Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Thunder 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 1988. 17 stations on file (most recent sample 2026).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
62 ft
Surface area
133 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
860 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Thunder 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 Thunder Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Thunder Lake in Marinette 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 Thunder Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Thunder 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 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.55 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Marinette County
Frequently asked questions about Thunder Lake
Where is Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake is a lake in Marinette County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake in Marinette County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Is Thunder Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake has a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake covers 133 acres.
What fish are in Thunder Lake?
- Fish species found in Thunder Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Trout. Thunder Lake is located in Marinette County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Thunder Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Thunder Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Thunder 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.
Are there boat ramps on Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Thunder Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Thunder Lake?
- Thunder 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 Thunder Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
67 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_WQX67 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
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