Thunder Lake
Oneida County, Wisconsin182 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Thunder Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 12 ft max depth
Thunder Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 182 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Thunder Lake. DNR survey details →
Thunder Lake is a 182-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 66 other monitored lakes in Oneida County, Thunder Lake ranks #59 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Thunder Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 32.3 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 32.3µg/L | Fair 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. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Thunder Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Thunder Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in Jun (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (72°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Thunder Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant 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 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 2014. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Thunder Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2023Thunder Lake fisheries survey, 2023Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
182 acres
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Stays near Thunder Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Thunder Lake
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 Thunder Lake
Where is Thunder Lake?
- Thunder 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 Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 182 acres.
Is Thunder 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 Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Thunder Lake?
- Thunder Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 182 acres.
What fish are in Thunder Lake?
- Fish species found in Thunder Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Thunder Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Thunder Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant 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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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Where this data comes from
37 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_WQX37 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