Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
Iron County, Wisconsin13,798 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake in Iron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.4 µg/L. Surface area: 13798 acres.
Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake is a 13,798-acre mesotrophic lake in Iron County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake ranks #4 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.
At about 14,000 acres, Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Big water13,798 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 Turtle Flambeau Flowage 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 Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Turtle Flambeau Flowage 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 ft. Phosphorus 19.4 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.4µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Turtle Flambeau Flowage 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).
- 2024Turtle Flambeau Flowage summer netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Surface area
13,798 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- FishermansPublic
- Sturgeon BayPublic
- RobinsonPublic
- SportsmansPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake in Iron 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 Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
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Fishing Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.48 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Turtle-Flambeau (completed 1926), built primarily for hydroelectric on the North Fork Flambeau; concrete-type dam, 26 ft tall and 9,150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13,798 ac
- Normal storage
- 135,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 239,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 666 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00041 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake
Where is Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake?
- Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake is a lake in Iron County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake?
- Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake in Iron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.4 µg/L. Surface area: 13798 acres.
Is Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Does Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake?
- Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fishermans, Sturgeon Bay, Robinson, Sportsmans. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake?
- Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake has 4 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 Turtle Flambeau Flowage 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 Iron County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Northwoods Wisconsin area
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Compare Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
327 measurements from 7 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_WQX327 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (7)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory