Bass Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin272 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Bass Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 272 acres.
Bass Lake is a 272-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Bass Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bass 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 Bass Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Bass Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.8 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/L | Good 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bass Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bass Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bass Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (229,087 cells/mL) on April 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Bass Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2025Johnson Lake spring bass panfish survey, 2025Panfish Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Muskellunge Lake spring bass panfish survey, 2025Musky Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
272 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,631 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bass Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bass Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bass 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.79 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass 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 Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 272 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 272 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Bass Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Does Bass Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bass Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (229,087 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Bass Lake?
- Public access to Bass 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.
Explore Bass Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
49 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_WQX49 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes