Little Saint Germain Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1596300
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
980 acres
Max depth
53 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
12.5 ft
Clear, measured Aug 2025
A deep lake type that can hold a cold layer below the warm surface in 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 1970), 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 29, 2025. 305 readings on record, 1990 to 2025.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 10.2 ft, clear, from 83 readings (2012 to 2025).
Measured at the monitoring station named “Little St Germain Lake - West Bay At St Germain WI”.
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 Little St Germain Lake - West Bay At St Germain WI. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Aug 29, 2025, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 22 (Apr 14 to Apr 27)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 7 (May 3 to May 12)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 27 (May 23 to May 30)
- June surface71°F, usually 68 to 72°F
- July surface76°F, usually 75 to 77°F
- August surface72°F, usually 70 to 74°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 11, lasting about 144 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.
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 2025 (large fingerling and small fingerling); stocked in 9 years since 2010
- Muskellungelast stocked 2022 (large fingerling); stocked in 8 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
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas1997 to 2005; 3 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1997 to 2005; 6 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1997 to 2005; 5 records
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1997 to 2005; 3 records
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus1997; 1 record
- Central Mudminnow Umbra limi1997; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1997 to 2005; 2 records
- Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus1997; 1 record
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas1997; 1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1997 to 2005; 4 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1997; 1 record
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1997 to 2005; 8 records
- Longjaw Cisco Coregonus alpenae1997; 1 record
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy1997 to 2007; 7 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1997 to 2005; 6 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1997 to 2005; 6 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1997; 2 records
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1997 to 2005; 6 records
- Walleye Sander vitreus1997 to 2005; 8 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1997 to 2005; 3 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1997; 2 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1997 to 2005; 6 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
- 1Little Saint Germain 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
- Wakefield Lake0.9 miles away
- Hiawatha Lake1.0 miles away
- Moon Lake1.0 miles away
- Alma Lake1.3 miles away
- Finley Lake1.8 miles away
- Found Lake2.3 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
- 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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