Amik Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin141 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Amik Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Rusty Crayfish
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
Amik Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 141 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Amik Lake. DNR survey details →
Amik Lake is a 141-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Amik Lake ranks #96 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Amik Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Amik Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Amik Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Amik Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Amik Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 38.8 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 38.8µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Amik Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Amik Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amik Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1996. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
141 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
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Stays near Amik Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Amik Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.34 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Amik Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003623 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Amik Lake
Where is Amik Lake?
- Amik Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Amik Lake?
- Amik Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 141 acres.
Is Amik Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Amik Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Amik Lake?
- Amik Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 141 acres.
What fish are in Amik Lake?
- Fish species found in Amik Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Amik Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Amik Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Amik Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amik Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Amik Lake?
- Public access to Amik Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
120 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX120 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes