Cable Lake
Cable Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 15.5 ft
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Cable Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Bayfield County, Cable Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-11-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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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)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Cable Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cable Lake in Bayfield 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 Cable Lake
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DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Cable 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).
- 2024Cable Wiley lakes spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Recreation & Access
- Perry LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cable Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.804 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.3 µg/L/yr | 3 |
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 24 lakes in Bayfield County
Nearby Lakes in Bayfield County
Frequently asked questions about Cable Lake
Where is Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake is a lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L.
Is Cable Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Cable Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Perry Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cable Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
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Where this data comes from
156 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX156 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory