Bass Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1604200
Size
266 acres
Max depth
15 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Cool, clear water color
Water clarity
12.5 ft
Clear, measured Aug 2026
A cool-water lake type: the DNR groups it with lakes that stay cooler through summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
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
12.5 ft Secchi depthClear
Last measured Aug 24, 2026. 248 readings on record, 1986 to 2026.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 12 ft, clear, from 47 readings (2012 to 2026).
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 BASS LAKE - DEEP HOLE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Aug 24, 2026, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 24 (Apr 15 to Apr 29)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 1 (Apr 20 to May 8)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 29 (May 24 to Jun 6)
- June surface69°F, usually 67 to 71°F
- July surface74°F, usually 73 to 76°F
- August surface71°F, usually 69 to 72°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.
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 2021 (fall yearling, large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 4 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
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1925; 1 record
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1925; 1 record
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile1925; 1 record
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1925; 1 record
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1925; 1 record
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1925; 1 record
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.
More lakes in Vilas County
- Tinsel Lake0.7 miles away
- Tambling Lake1.3 miles away
- Carpenter Lake1.5 miles away
- Cranberry Lake1.7 miles away
- Voyageur Lake2.4 miles away
- Lower Ninemile Lake2.6 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
- 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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