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LakeQuality

Wisconsin Lake Water Quality

Water quality grades for 388 monitored lakes across 82 counties.

A-grade lakes are scarce in Missouri: about 5% of the dataset. Most lakes here sit in C or D — productive, often shallow, frequently algal in late summer.

Eutrophic conditions dominate — nutrient-loaded, productive, with algal pressure that shows up most years in late summer. These lakes tend to be shallow, agricultural-watershed, and over-warmed by the time July ends. The cleanest county on average is Oregon (grade A); the most-stressed is Polk. The gap between the top and bottom counties is large enough that "Missouri lake water quality" hides real local variation.

A
18
Excellent
B
81
Good
C
97
Fair
D
104
Poor
F
88
Very Poor

Lake Map

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Reservoirs in Wisconsin

View all 205 reservoirs →

205 of 388 Wisconsin lakes (53%) are man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. 162 carry a High or Significant hazard rating. The oldest matched dam dates to 1870.

Recreation (133)Flood Risk Reduction (31)Water Supply (26)Other (6)Fish and Wildlife Pond (5)Hydroelectric (2)

EPA-Impaired Lakes in Wisconsin

View all 145 impaired lakes →

145 of 388 Wisconsin lakes (37%) are officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the most recent EPA ATTAINS reporting cycle. 14 have an approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) restoration plan.

Algal growth (87)Mercury (58)Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) (26)

Counties

A
Oregon County
1 lakes
A
Ste. Genevieve County
1 lakes
A
Ripley County
2 lakes
B
Perry County
3 lakes
B
Cedar County
4 lakes
B
Taney County
11 lakes
B
St. Francois County
4 lakes
B
Clark County
2 lakes
B
Stone County
16 lakes
C
Jefferson County
7 lakes
B
Iron County
2 lakes
C
Gasconade County
4 lakes
C
Washington County
2 lakes
C
Lincoln County
2 lakes
C
Greene County
3 lakes
C
Pike County
1 lakes
C
Dade County
1 lakes
C
Barry County
9 lakes
C
Warren County
16 lakes
C
Morgan County
38 lakes
C
Miller County
8 lakes
C
Adair County
5 lakes
C
Phelps County
3 lakes
C
Mercer County
2 lakes
C
Camden County
42 lakes
C
Audrain County
4 lakes
C
Johnson County
5 lakes
C
Franklin County
5 lakes
C
Platte County
3 lakes
C
Benton County
1 lakes
C
Chariton County
3 lakes
C
Maries County
1 lakes
C
Linn County
4 lakes
C
Andrew County
1 lakes
D
Macon County
4 lakes
D
Wayne County
3 lakes
D
Harrison County
3 lakes
D
Sullivan County
2 lakes
D
Reynolds County
3 lakes
D
Monroe County
3 lakes
D
Lewis County
1 lakes
D
Osage County
1 lakes
D
Crawford County
1 lakes
D
Livingston County
1 lakes
D
Boone County
12 lakes
D
Randolph County
7 lakes
D
Howard County
2 lakes
D
Hickory County
10 lakes
D
Ralls County
4 lakes
D
Nodaway County
5 lakes
D
Knox County
1 lakes
D
Caldwell County
1 lakes
D
St. Charles County
11 lakes
D
St. Louis city County
5 lakes
D
Callaway County
3 lakes
D
Clay County
9 lakes
D
Shelby County
2 lakes
D
St. Clair County
1 lakes
D
Clinton County
1 lakes
D
Buchanan County
1 lakes
D
Jackson County
27 lakes
D
Cole County
2 lakes
D
Daviess County
2 lakes
F
DeKalb County
6 lakes
F
Moniteau County
2 lakes
F
Barton County
6 lakes
F
Cass County
5 lakes
F
St. Louis County
9 lakes
F
Saline County
2 lakes
F
Lafayette County
2 lakes
F
Polk County
1 lakes
F
Bates County
1 lakes
F
Putnam County
1 lakes
F
Vernon County
1 lakes
F
Pettis County
1 lakes
F
Henry County
1 lakes
F
Grundy County
1 lakes
F
Mississippi County
1 lakes
F
Stoddard County
1 lakes
F
Holt County
1 lakes
F
Scotland County
1 lakes
F
Gentry County
1 lakes

Top 25 Cleanest Lakes

RankLakeCountyGradeClarityMax Depth
1Lake CapriSt. FrancoisA16.3 ft-
2Stockton LakeCedarA--
3Lake Wauwanoka Nr. DamJeffersonA12.9 ft-
4Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac LakesSt. FrancoisA14.1 ft-
5Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac LakesWashingtonA11.1 ft-
6Timberline LakesSt. FrancoisA14.3 ft-
7Alpine LakeWarrenA12.6 ft-
8Lake Taneycomo Ab. Bee Cr. ArmTaneyA13.3 ft-
9Lake Taneycomo Nr. Roark Cr.TaneyA12.6 ft-
10Council Bluff LakeIronA13.1 ft-
11Mccormack LakeOregonA11.7 ft-
12Fourche Creek LakeRipleyA13.6 ft-
13Goose Creek LakeSte. GenevieveA9.9 ft-
14Oasis Ranch LakeAudrainA14.1 ft-
15Port Perry LakePerryA12 ft-
16Oasis Ranch Upper LakeAudrainA14.4 ft-
17Lake Taneycomo @ Shepherd of the Hills FhTaneyA--
18Cattails 2 LakeJeffersonA--
19Lake Taneycomo @ Rockaway BeachTaneyB8.7 ft-
20Fox Valley LakeClarkB8.5 ft-
21Cole LakeJeffersonB18.5 ft-
22Fellows LakeGreeneB7.2 ft-
23Lake KonstanzWarrenB7.7 ft-
24Table Rock Lk. Into Main Channel From Dam LakeStoneB7.2 ft-
25Table Rock L. Ab. Carter Br. LakeBarryB6.8 ft-

25 Lakes Needing Attention

RankLakeCountyGradeClarity
1Englewood Park LakeClayF-
2Loose Park LakeJacksonF-
3Perry City LakeRallsF-
4Limpp LakeGentryF-
5Memphis Lake No.1ScotlandF-
6Washington LakeJacksonF-
7Catclaw LakeJacksonF-
8Blue River Parkway LakeJacksonF-
9Kessler LakeJacksonF-
10Chaumiere Park LakeClayF-
11Lake of the WoodsJacksonF-
12Firehouse Park LakeJacksonF-
13Troost LakeJacksonF-
14Tilles Park ReservoirSt. LouisF-
15Big LakeHoltF-
16Troost LakeJacksonF-
17Lewis LakeStoddardF-
18Railraod LakeMoniteauF-
19Lake WooldridgeSalineF-
20Lake TaneycomoTaneyF-
21Unnamed Lake NearCallawayF2.3 ft
22Mckee Prairie PondJacksonF1.3 ft
23Kruse LakeSt. CharlesF2.6 ft
24Bee Tree LakeSt. LouisF0.6 ft
25Jamesport Community LakeDaviessF0.9 ft

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.