Chain Lake
Oconto County, Wisconsin · WBIC 464700
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
81 acres
Max depth
50 ft
DNR lake type
Simple, Warm, dark water color
Water clarity
13 ft
Clear, measured Sep 2022
A warm-water lake type: the DNR groups it with lakes that warm up through 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 1991), 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 depthClear
Last measured Sep 14, 2022. 9 readings on record, 2021 to 2022.
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 Chain Lake - Deepest Part-Ep. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 17 (Apr 3 to Apr 24)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 28 (Apr 18 to May 4)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 11 (May 7 to May 17)
- June surface73°F, usually 72 to 75°F
- July surface79°F, usually 77 to 80°F
- August surface75°F, usually 73 to 76°F
Forms a warm top layer around Apr 28, lasting about 181 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 2023 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 7 years since 2010
- Yellow Perchlast stocked 2018 (large fingerling); stocked in 1 year 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 melas1985; 1 record
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1970 to 1985; 2 records
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus1985; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1985; 1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1970 to 1985; 2 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1970 to 1985; 2 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1970 to 1985; 2 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1970 to 1985; 2 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1985; 1 record
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1985; 1 record
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1970 to 1985; 2 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
- 1Chain Lake AccessBoat ramp · Paved surface · Township
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Oconto County
- Little Archibald Lake0.6 miles away
- Binder Lake1.6 miles away
- Little Maiden Lake1.8 miles away
- Sellin Lake1.9 miles away
- Archibald Lake2.0 miles away
- Maiden Lake2.2 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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