Helen Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2964400
Size
111 acres
Max depth
19 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Cool, dark water color
Water clarity
5.5 ft
Moderate, measured Jun 2012
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 1981), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
5.5 ft Secchi depthModerateOlder reading
Last measured Jun 22, 2012. 83 readings on record, 1997 to 2012.
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 HELEN LAKE - DEEP HOLE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 25 (Apr 17 to May 1)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 2 (Apr 24 to May 9)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 25 (May 13 to May 28)
- June surface69°F, usually 68 to 70°F
- July surface75°F, usually 74 to 76°F
- August surface71°F, usually 69 to 73°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 25, lasting about 92 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.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides2007; 1 record
- Northern Pike Esox lucius2007; 1 record
- Walleye Sander vitreus2007; 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
- Cleveland Lake0.6 miles away
- Hardin Lake0.8 miles away
- Benny Lake1.4 miles away
- Erwin Lake1.6 miles away
- Mamie Lake1.6 miles away
- West Bay Lake1.6 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
- 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
- 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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