Broken Bow Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1837300
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
Size
134 acres
Max depth
23 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Warm, clear water color
Water clarity
7.5 ft
Moderate, measured Jul 2021
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
Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1990), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
7.5 ft Secchi depthModerateOlder reading
Last measured Jul 23, 2021. 145 readings on record, 1993 to 2021.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 5.2 ft, moderate, from 21 readings (2016 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 BROKEN BOW 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 9)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 26 (May 21 to May 30)
- June surface69°F, usually 67 to 70°F
- July surface74°F, usually 74 to 75°F
- August surface71°F, usually 69 to 73°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 26, lasting about 93 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
- Bluegilllast stocked 2020 (large fingerling, small fingerling and yearling); stocked in 3 years since 2010
- Largemouth Basslast stocked 2020 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 5 years since 2010
- Yellow Perchlast stocked 2020 (small fingerling); stocked in 1 year since 2010
- Black Crappielast stocked 2019 (large fingerling and yearling); stocked in 2 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.
More lakes in Vilas County
- Tank Lake0.6 miles away
- Gene Lake0.8 miles away
- Tippecanoe Lake1.0 miles away
- Bills Lake1.5 miles away
- Little Ten Lake2.1 miles away
- Haskell Lake2.1 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 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
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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