Broken Bow Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin133 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Broken Bow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 23 ft max depth
- Limited data
Broken Bow Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Broken Bow Lake. DNR survey details →
Broken Bow Lake is a 133-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Broken Bow Lake ranks #100 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-08-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Broken Bow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Broken Bow 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 Broken Bow Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Broken Bow Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 24.9 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24.9µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Broken Bow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Broken Bow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Broken Bow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2022).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
133 acres
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Broken Bow 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.7 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Broken Bow Lake
Where is Broken Bow Lake?
- Broken Bow 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 Broken Bow Lake?
- Broken Bow Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Is Broken Bow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Broken Bow Lake?
- Broken Bow Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 133 acres.
What fish are in Broken Bow Lake?
- Fish species found in Broken Bow Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Broken Bow Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Broken Bow Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Largemouth Bass as common on Broken Bow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Broken Bow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX10 samples · 2021–2022
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes