Boulder Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2338300
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
524 acres
Max depth
23 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Cool, dark water color
Water clarity
5.8 ft
Moderate, measured Aug 2021
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
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1981), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
5.8 ft Secchi depthModerateOlder reading
Last measured Aug 17, 2021. 30 readings on record, 1990 to 2021.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 5.8 ft, moderate, from 11 readings (2018 to 2021).
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 Boulder Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 22 (Apr 14 to Apr 29)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 3 (Apr 23 to May 8)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 30 (May 28 to Jun 6)
- June surface69°F, usually 67 to 71°F
- July surface74°F, usually 73 to 76°F
- August surface72°F, usually 70 to 73°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.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus2003; 1 record
- Blacknose Shiner Notropis heterolepis1925; 1 record
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus2003; 1 record
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans1925; 1 record
- Burbot Lota lota2003; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1925; 1 record
- Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum2003; 2 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Logperch Percina caprodes2003; 1 record
- Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus1925; 1 record
- Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii1925; 1 record
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy2003; 2 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius2003; 2 records
- Pearl Dace Margariscus margarita1925; 1 record
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus2003; 3 records
- Redfin Pickerel Esox americanus2003; 1 record
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum2003; 1 record
- Silver Redhorse Moxostoma anisurum1925 to 2003; 2 records
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu2003; 3 records
- Trout-Perch Percopsis omiscomaycus2003; 1 record
- Walleye Sander vitreus2003; 2 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1925 to 2003; 3 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1925 to 2003; 4 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
- 1Boulder Lake Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · Accessible features · State(dnr)
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Vilas County
- Big Crooked Lake1.1 miles away
- Wool Lake1.5 miles away
- Little Rice Lake1.7 miles away
- Nichols Lake1.8 miles away
- Elizabeth Lake2.2 miles away
- Little Crooked 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
- 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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