Beaver Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin62 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Beaver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
Beaver Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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 →
Beaver Lake is a 62-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. 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. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 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. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Beaver 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 Beaver Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Beaver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 16.6 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.6µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Beaver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (79°F).
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 water quality. LakeQuality shows Beaver 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 1990. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
62 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,650 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Beaver Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Beaver Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.61 µg/L/yr7 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007538 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver 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 Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
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 water quality. LakeQuality shows Beaver 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 Beaver Lake?
- Public access to Beaver 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 Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes