East Bay Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin270 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for East Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
East Bay Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on East Bay Lake. DNR survey details →
East Bay Lake is a 270-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What East Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Bay 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 East Bay Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for East Bay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about East Bay 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 East Bay Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (319,154 cells/mL) on November 1, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on East Bay Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Bay 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 1991. 10 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Surface area
270 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
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Stays near East Bay Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing East Bay 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 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.21 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
East Bay Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10007681 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about East Bay Lake
Where is East Bay Lake?
- East Bay 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 East Bay Lake?
- East Bay Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.
Is East Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is East Bay Lake?
- East Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 270 acres.
What fish are in East Bay Lake?
- Fish species found in East Bay Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. East Bay Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Bay Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on East Bay Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Bay 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.
Does East Bay Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for East Bay Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (319,154 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at East Bay Lake?
- Public access to East Bay Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 East Bay Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX3 samples · 2020–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes