Carlin Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin155 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Carlin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 36 ft max depth
Carlin Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 155 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carlin Lake. DNR survey details →
Carlin Lake is a 155-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Carlin Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Carlin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Carlin 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 Carlin Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Carlin Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down. Phosphorus 7.3 µg/L. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7.3µg/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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Carlin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Carlin Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Carlin Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carlin Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carlin 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)
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
155 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Carlin Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Carlin Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.61 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Carlin Lake
Where is Carlin Lake?
- Carlin 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 Carlin Lake?
- Carlin Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 155 acres.
Is Carlin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Carlin Lake?
- Carlin Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Carlin Lake?
- Carlin Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 155 acres.
What fish are in Carlin Lake?
- Fish species found in Carlin Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass. Carlin Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Carlin Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carlin Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carlin 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.
Explore Carlin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
48 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_WQX48 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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes