Elkhart Lake
Sheboygan County, Wisconsin · WBIC 59300
The DNR has advice about eating fish from this water. How much is safe depends on the fish and on who is eating it. Look it up on the DNR site
The DNR lists this lake's watershed (Sheboygan River-Frontal Lake Michigan) 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
286 acres
Max depth
119 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
13.8 ft
Clear, measured Aug 2025
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 1992), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
13.8 ft Secchi depthClear
Last measured Aug 29, 2025. 197 readings on record, 1990 to 2025.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 11 ft, clear, from 41 readings (2012 to 2025).
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 ELKHART LAKE - DEEP HOLE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Aug 29, 2025, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 7 (Mar 31 to Apr 12)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 29 (Apr 22 to May 5)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 23 (May 10 to May 25)
- June surface73°F, usually 72 to 74°F
- July surface79°F, usually 78 to 81°F
- August surface76°F, usually 74 to 78°F
Forms a warm top layer around Apr 24, lasting about 201 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.
Measured: Wisconsin DNR via the Water Quality Portal (checked Oct 23, 2026). 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 10 years since 2010
- Muskellungelast stocked 2020 (fall yearling and yearling); stocked in 7 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 melas1991 to 2000; 2 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1991 to 2006; 10 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1991 to 2006; 15 records
- Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis1986; 1 record
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus1991; 1 record
- Brown Trout Salmo trutta1985 to 1986; 2 records
- Cisco Coregonus artedi1909 to 1985; 6 records
- Common Carp Cyprinus carpio2000 to 2006; 3 records
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas2006; 1 record
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus1991 to 2006; 8 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1986 to 2006; 19 records
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy1988 to 2006; 11 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1985 to 2006; 15 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1991 to 2006; 10 records
- Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss1991; 3 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1991 to 2006; 14 records
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1985 to 2006; 19 records
- Walleye Sander vitreus1985 to 2006; 20 records
- White Bass Morone chrysops1991; 2 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1991 to 2006; 8 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1991 to 2000; 4 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1991 to 2006; 11 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
- 1Elkhart Lake Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · Accessible features · County
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water level and flow
U.S. Geological Survey gauges at or beside this lake. Readings are provisional and fetched when you open the page.
More lakes in Sheboygan County
- Crystal Lake1.4 miles away
- Otter Pond1.9 miles away
- Sheboygan Lake2.1 miles away
- Little Elkhart Lake2.7 miles away
- Gerber Lake3.7 miles away
- Gerber Lake3.7 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
- Water level and flowU.S. Geological Survey gauges (readings are live), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish consumption advice flagWisconsin DNR advisory areas (flag and link only), checked Oct 24, 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.
Something wrong on this page? Report a problem.