Upper Kelly Lake
Waukesha County, Wisconsin13 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Upper Kelly Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Upper Kelly Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 13 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Upper Kelly Lake. DNR survey details →
Upper Kelly Lake is a 13-acre lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 31 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Upper Kelly Lake covers about 13 acres in Waukesha County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Upper Kelly Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Upper Kelly Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Upper Kelly Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Upper Kelly 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 Upper Kelly Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Upper Kelly 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 ft of visibility. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Upper Kelly Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Upper Kelly Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Kelly Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Surface area
13 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Upper Kelly Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Upper Kelly Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Kelly Lake
- → Upper Kelly Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Upper Kelly Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Upper Kelly Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Upper Kelly Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Upper Kelly Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10008146 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Upper Kelly Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- New Berlin Public SchoolsNew Berlin · 3.4 mi away · NPDES WI0029998
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Waukesha County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Kelly Lake
Where is Upper Kelly Lake?
- Upper Kelly Lake is a lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Upper Kelly Lake?
- Upper Kelly Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 13 acres.
Is Upper Kelly Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Upper Kelly Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Upper Kelly Lake?
- Upper Kelly Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 13 acres.
What fish are in Upper Kelly Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Kelly Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Upper Kelly Lake is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Upper Kelly Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Upper Kelly Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Kelly Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Upper Kelly Lake?
- Public access to Upper Kelly Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX23 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes