Boot Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin286 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Boot Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Boot Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 286 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Boot Lake. DNR survey details →
Boot Lake is a 286-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Boot Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Boot Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Boot 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 Boot Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Boot 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 4 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Boot Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Boot Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (147,231 cells/mL) on July 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Boot Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. 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 1993. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Boot Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2024Boot Lake spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
286 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
25 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,627 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Boot LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Boot Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Boot 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 Boot Lake
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Follow Boot Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Boot 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: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Boot 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 WI10007549 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Boot Lake
Where is Boot Lake?
- Boot 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 Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 286 acres.
Is Boot Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Boot Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 286 acres.
What fish are in Boot Lake?
- Fish species found in Boot Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Boot Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Boot Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Boot Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Boot Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Boot Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (147,231 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Boot Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Boot Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
72 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_WQX72 samples · 2020–2026
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory