Cisco Lake
Bayfield County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2899200
The DNR lists this lake's watershed (White River) as suspect or infected with VHS, a fish virus. The listing covers the watershed, not a test of this lake. About VHS
Size
95 acres
Max depth
105 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
13 ft
Clear, measured Apr 1998
A deep lake type that can hold a cold layer below the warm surface in summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1990), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
13 ft Secchi depthClearOlder reading
Last measured Apr 21, 1998. 2 readings on record, 1991 to 1998.
Only a few readings are on record.
Nothing has been measured in the last 5 years, so this may not match the lake today.
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.
Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station Cisco Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 22 (Apr 14 to Apr 26)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 4 (Apr 23 to May 8)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 24 (May 19 to May 26)
- June surface71°F, usually 69 to 72°F
- July surface77°F, usually 75 to 78°F
- August surface73°F, usually 72 to 75°F
Forms a warm top layer around Apr 30, lasting about 191 days.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Stocking history
- Walleyelast stocked 2025 (large fingerling and small fingerling); stocked in 9 years since 2010
Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.
Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas1978 to 1987; 2 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1966 to 1990; 9 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1966 to 1990; 15 records
- Cisco Coregonus artedi1948 to 1969; 2 records
- Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch1971; 1 record
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus1978; 1 record
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1966 to 1991; 18 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1966 to 1991; 15 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1966 to 1990; 10 records
- Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax1983; 1 record
- Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss1978; 1 record
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1966 to 1990; 13 records
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1966 to 1991; 12 records
- Walleye Sander vitreus1983 to 1991; 9 records
- Warmouth Lepomis gulosus1987; 3 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1971 to 1991; 7 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1978 to 1983; 3 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1948 to 1990; 13 records
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1Cisco Lake AccessBoat ramp · Gravel surface · Federal
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Bayfield County
- Overby Lake0.4 miles away
- Esox Lake0.5 miles away
- Mirror Lake0.8 miles away
- Rana Lake0.8 miles away
- Arrowhead Lake1.1 miles away
- Drummond Lake1.3 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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