Virgin Lake
Oneida County, Wisconsin261 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Virgin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Rusty Crayfish
- 31 ft max depth
- Limited data
Virgin Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 261 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Virgin Lake. DNR survey details →
Virgin Lake is a 261-acre mesotrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 31 feet. Overall water quality is improving 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, Virgin Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Virgin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Virgin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Virgin 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 Virgin Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Virgin 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 18.1 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.1µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Virgin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Virgin Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Virgin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1994. 3 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Surface area
261 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
22 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,621 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Virgin Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Virgin Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Virgin 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: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.61 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Virgin Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007510 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Oneida County
Frequently asked questions about Virgin Lake
Where is Virgin Lake?
- Virgin 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 Virgin Lake?
- Virgin Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 261 acres.
Is Virgin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Virgin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Virgin Lake?
- Virgin Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 261 acres.
What fish are in Virgin Lake?
- Fish species found in Virgin Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Virgin Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Virgin Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Virgin Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Virgin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Virgin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX48 samples · 2020–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes