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Wisconsin›Clearest lakes›Portage County

WI · ranked by public data

Clearest Lakes in Portage County, Wisconsin, Ranked

4 Portage County lakes are at least 50 acres with a current DNR water-clarity reading, out of 77 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.

  1. 19 ft
    247 acres

    Portage County, WI

    McDill Pond

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    44.51, -89.55247 acres | 19 ft max2 public access pointsLargemouth Bass, Panfish

    9 ft water clarity (Aug 2025) · 247 acres, 19 ft max depth · 2 public landings

  2. 28.5 ft
    73 acres

    Portage County, WI

    Tree Lake

    enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
    44.67, -89.2773 acres | 33 ft max1 public access pointLargemouth Bass, Northern Pike

    8.5 ft water clarity (Jun 2026) · 73 acres, 33 ft max depth · 1 public landing

  3. 38 ft
    89 acres

    Portage County, WI

    Lake Helen

    enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
    44.62, -89.2489 acres | 20 ft max1 public access pointLargemouth Bass, Panfish

    8 ft water clarity (Jul 2026) · 89 acres, 20 ft max depth · 1 public landing

  4. 44.8 ft
    84 acres

    Portage County, WI

    Jordan Pond

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    44.58, -89.4984 acres | 7 ft max2 public access pointsPanfish, Largemouth Bass

    4.8 ft water clarity (Aug 2022) · 84 acres, 7 ft max depth · 2 public landings

Methodology

How this list is built

  • Ranked by the most recent documented Secchi disk reading (feet of visibility) from DNR/CLMN monitoring.
  • Readings older than 10 years are excluded — a decades-old reading no longer says anything about today's water.
  • Lakes under 50 acres — or without documented acreage — are excluded from rankings.
  • Readings deeper than the lake's own documented maximum depth are treated as source-data errors and excluded.
  • Clarity swings with season and weather, so the reading date is shown for every lake.
  • Only monitored lakes can rank. A clear lake nobody measures cannot appear here — this list rewards documentation as much as clarity.

FAQ

Portage County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Portage County?

McDill Pond — By most recent Secchi reading, McDill Pond in Portage County is the clearest monitored lake in Portage County, with 9 feet of visibility.

Clearest lakes statewideDeepest lakes in Portage CountyBiggest lakes in Portage CountyLakes with the most public access in Portage CountyAll Portage County lakes

Source data: Wisconsin DNR lake and monitoring records as aggregated by LakeList. Figures reflect the most recent documented values, not new surveys — verify access and rules before you go. Lake outlines are shoreline shapes from LakeList and the USGS National Hydrography Dataset; they illustrate a lake's form and are not depth or navigation charts.