Where is Circle Lily Lake?

Circle Lily Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Circle Lily Lake?

Circle Lily Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 218 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Circle Lily Lake?

Circle Lily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Circle Lily Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Circle Lily Lake?

Circle Lily 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.

Circle Lily Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin218 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Circle Lily Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

6 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2024

Phosphorus

14.6 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Max depth

35 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

218 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Trend

Improving

5 years of samples

Mesotrophic
Rusty Crayfish
35 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Circle Lily Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 218 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Circle Lily Lake. DNR survey details →

Loading map…

Circle Lily Lake is a 218-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Circle Lily Lake ranks #32 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-06-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Circle Lily Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing6 species recorded
Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low 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 Circle Lily 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Minocqua →

Get alerts for Circle Lily Lake →

Water quality measurements for Circle Lily Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Circle Lily 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 6 ft. Phosphorus 14.6 µg/L. TSI 47.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	6ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	14.6µg/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 Circle Lily Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Circle Lily Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Circle Lily 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2024).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Common)Musky(Present)Largemouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)Walleye(Present)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

35 ft

Surface area

218 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

5 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

3 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,594 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Circle Lily 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 Circle Lily Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Circle Lily 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 Circle Lily Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

Follow Circle Lily Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

Or email

Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Circle Lily 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.

Rusty Crayfish

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).

Water clarity
Improving
4 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-0.96 µg/L/yr5 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Vilas County

Statehouse Lake10.5 ft clear—View →Sturgeon Lake—View →Benson Lake10.6 ft clear—View →Vance Lake—View →Rest Lake12.5 ft clear—View →Deerfoot Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Circle Lily Lake

Where is Circle Lily Lake?: Circle Lily 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 Circle Lily Lake?: Circle Lily Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 218 acres.
Is Circle Lily Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Circle Lily Lake?: Circle Lily Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 218 acres.
What fish are in Circle Lily Lake?: Fish species found in Circle Lily Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Circle Lily Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Circle Lily Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Circle Lily Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Circle Lily 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.
Are there boat ramps on Circle Lily Lake?: Circle Lily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Circle Lily Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Circle Lily Lake?: Circle Lily 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 Circle Lily Lake across LakeQuality

Wakesurfing on Circle Lily Lake

Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules

Wisconsin Fishing Guide

Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin

Vilas County Fishing

Fish species and best lakes in Vilas County

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Northwoods Wisconsin

Top lakes and where to stay in the Northwoods Wisconsin area

Wisconsin Lake Trips

Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings

Wisconsin River Watershed

Lakes in the Wisconsin River Watershed, ranked by water quality

The State of Wisconsin's Lakes

Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements

More lakes in Wisconsin

Clearest lakes in Wisconsin

Ranked by Secchi water clarity

All Wisconsin lakes

Every Wisconsin lake with its Wisconsin DNR measurements

Lake water quality by country

Official ratings and named-lake measurements

Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Iron County · 7.5 ft

Iron County · 7 ft

Iron County · 8.5 ft

Iron County · 11.7 ft

Mercer Lake

Iron County · 12 ft

Echo Lake

Iron County · 6 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Cedar Lake Fisher Lake Spider Lake Martha Lake

Where this data comes from

21 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX21 samples · 2020–2024

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-643459

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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory