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LakeQuality

Dead Pike Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #50 of 103 lakes in the county · 8 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 309 acres
Mesotrophic

Dead Pike Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 309 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Dead Pike Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity
8 ft
Max depth
80 ft
Area
309 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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Dead Pike Lake is a 309-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 80 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. 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, Dead Pike Lake ranks #50 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low 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

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Minocqua

Get alerts for Dead Pike Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus level: 14.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus14.2 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)45Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Dead Pike Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dead Pike 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 Dead Pike Lake

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 →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Dead Pike Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Dead Pike Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. 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 1996. 7 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Reported
Trophic State Index 41 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Dead Pike 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).

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth80 ft
Surface Area309 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Elevation
1,591 ft

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

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Dead Pike Lake - 1Public

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fish Species

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

Fishing Dead Pike Lake

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.075 m/yr4
Phosphorus Stable-0.04 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #50 of 103 lakes in Vilas County

Nearby Lakes in Vilas County

Frequently asked questions about Dead Pike Lake

Where is Dead Pike Lake?

Dead Pike Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Dead Pike Lake?

Dead Pike Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 309 acres.

Is Dead Pike Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Dead Pike Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Dead Pike Lake?

Dead Pike Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake covers 309 acres.

What fish are in Dead Pike Lake?

Fish species found in Dead Pike Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Dead Pike Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dead Pike Lake?

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Dead Pike Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Dead Pike Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Are there boat ramps on Dead Pike Lake?

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

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

27 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX27 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)

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)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

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