Black Otter Lake (Hortonville)
Outagamie County, Wisconsin · WBIC 315600
The DNR lists this lake's watershed (Bear Creek-Wolf River) as suspect or infected with VHS, a fish virus. The listing covers the watershed, not a test of this lake. About VHS
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
75 acres
Max depth
9 ft
DNR lake type
Simple, Riverine
Water clarity
6.5 ft
Moderate, measured Aug 2018
A river-like water type, with flow instead of a still basin. 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 1975), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
6.5 ft Secchi depthModerateOlder reading
Last measured Aug 16, 2018. 131 readings on record, 1986 to 2018.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 5.5 ft, moderate, from 12 readings (2012 to 2018).
Nothing has been measured in the last 5 years, so this may not match the lake today.
Measured at the monitoring station named “BLACK OTTER LAKE - DEEP HOLE”.
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 BLACK OTTER LAKE - DEEP HOLE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Mar 31 (Mar 28 to Apr 11)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 14 (Apr 6 to Apr 22)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 12 (May 5 to May 20)
- June surface75°F, usually 73 to 77°F
- July surface80°F, usually 78 to 82°F
- August surface76°F, usually 74 to 78°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.
Stocking history
- Largemouth Basslast stocked 2023 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 10 years since 2010
- Yellow Perchlast stocked 2023 (adult, small fingerling and yearling); stocked in 6 years since 2010
- Black Crappielast stocked 2016 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 7 years since 2010
- Fathead Minnowlast stocked 2016 (adult and yearling); stocked in 5 years since 2010
- Bluegilllast stocked 2014 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 3 years since 2010
- Green Sunfish X Bluegilllast stocked 2012 (adult); 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 melas1960 to 1994; 7 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1983 to 1994; 8 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1958 to 1994; 13 records
- Bowfin Amia calva1994; 1 record
- Central Mudminnow Umbra limi1960 to 1993; 4 records
- Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus1926; 1 record
- Fantail Darter Etheostoma flabellare1926; 1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1983 to 1994; 7 records
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus1994; 2 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1926; 1 record
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1958 to 1994; 13 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1926 to 1994; 10 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1926 to 1994; 12 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1926 to 1994; 11 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1958 to 1994; 9 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
- 1Black Otter Lake Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · Village
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
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
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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