Carpenter Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin339 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Carpenter Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 16 ft max depth
Carpenter Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 339 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carpenter Lake. DNR survey details →
Carpenter Lake is a 339-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Carpenter Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-08-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Carpenter Lake covers about 340 acres in Vilas County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Carpenter Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Carpenter Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
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 Carpenter 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 Carpenter Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Carpenter 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 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/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 Carpenter 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 Carpenter Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (159,956 cells/mL) on May 30, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carpenter Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carpenter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
339 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,637 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Carpenter Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Carpenter 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 Carpenter Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Carpenter 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 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.87 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Carpenter Lake
Where is Carpenter Lake?
- Carpenter 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 Carpenter Lake?
- Carpenter Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 339 acres.
Is Carpenter Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Carpenter Lake?
- Carpenter Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 339 acres.
What fish are in Carpenter Lake?
- Fish species found in Carpenter Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Carpenter Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Carpenter Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Carpenter Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carpenter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Carpenter Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Carpenter Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (159,956 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Carpenter Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Vilas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Northwoods Wisconsin area
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Wisconsin River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX24 samples · 2020–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes