Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 62 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Beaver Lake. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 6.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 69°F
- Max depth
- 20 ft
- Area
- 62 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Vilas County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Beaver Lake is a 62-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Beaver Lake ranks #47 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Beaver Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 16.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Beaver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beaver 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 Beaver Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Beaver Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Beaver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Beaver Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Beaver Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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 1990. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft |
| Surface Area | 62 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Moosehead LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Beaver Lake
- Moosehead Lake Camp4.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.15 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.61 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Beaver Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007538 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #47 of 103 lakes in Vilas County
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 62 acres.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Beaver Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 62 acres.
What fish are in Beaver Lake?
- Fish species found in Beaver Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Beaver Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Beaver Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Beaver Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Beaver Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.
Are there boat ramps on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Moosehead Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Moosehead Lake Camp. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Vilas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Northwoods Wisconsin area
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the Wisconsin River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
44 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_WQX44 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles