Old Elk Lake
Dunn County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1871400
The DNR lists this lake's watershed (Cranberry Creek-Chippewa River) as suspect or infected with VHS, a fish virus. The listing covers the watershed, not a test of this lake. About VHS
Size
200 acres
Max depth
6 ft
DNR lake type
Simple, Harsh
Water clarity
0.7 ft
Low, measured Oct 1995
A lake type the DNR marks as having harsh conditions for fish. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1972), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
0.7 ft Secchi depthLowOlder reading
Last measured Oct 9, 1995. 5 readings on record, 1995.
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 OLD ELK LAKE - MIDDLE OF LAKE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 11 (Apr 2 to Apr 22)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 16 (Apr 9 to Apr 25)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 4 (Apr 20 to May 11)
- June surface78°F, usually 76 to 79°F
- July surface83°F, usually 82 to 86°F
- August surface78°F, usually 76 to 81°F
Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.
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.
Boat landings
- Old Elk Lake Primary AccessCarry-in access · Dirt surface · State(dnr)
Some landings are matched to this lake by name only, because the DNR list gives no location for them. They have no pin.
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Dunn County
- Lake Menomin10 miles away
- Tainter Lake12 miles away
- Big Lake13 miles away
- Lake Eau Galle16 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
- 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
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, 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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