Escanaba Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2339900

This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations

Size

293 acres

Max depth

26 ft

DNR lake type

Complex, Cool, clear water color

Water clarity

13.5 ft

Clear, measured Sep 2023

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

13.5 ft Secchi depthClear

Last measured Sep 5, 2023. 47 readings on record, 1988 to 2023.

Typical summer clarity (June to September): 8.6 ft, moderate, from 16 readings (2019 to 2023).

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 Escanaba Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Water temperature

A typical year Modeled estimate

  • Ice goes outabout Apr 24 (Apr 16 to Apr 30)
  • Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 3 (Apr 26 to May 10)
  • Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 31 (May 28 to Jun 7)
  • June surface68°F, usually 67 to 70°F
  • July surface74°F, usually 73 to 76°F
  • August surface71°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

Loading today's forecast…

Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.

Boat landings

Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

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More lakes in Vilas County

All Vilas County lakes

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
  • 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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