Hilts Lake
Lincoln County, Wisconsin61 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Hilts Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Hilts Lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 61 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hilts Lake. DNR survey details →
Hilts Lake is a 61-acre lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 64 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Hilts Lake covers about 61 acres in Lincoln County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Hilts Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Hilts Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water64 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hilts 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 Hilts Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Hilts Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | 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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Hilts Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hilts Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hilts 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. Monitored by volunteers since 2005. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
64 ft
Surface area
61 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,578 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hilts 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 Hilts Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hilts Lake in Lincoln 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 Hilts Lake
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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 Hilts Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hilts 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 (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Hilts Lake
Where is Hilts Lake?
- Hilts Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hilts Lake?
- Hilts Lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 61 acres.
Is Hilts Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hilts Lake?
- Hilts Lake has a maximum depth of 64 feet. The lake covers 61 acres.
What fish are in Hilts Lake?
- Fish species found in Hilts Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Hilts Lake is located in Lincoln County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hilts Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hilts Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hilts 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 Hilts Lake?
- Hilts Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hilts Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hilts Lake?
- Hilts 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 Hilts Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX8 samples · 2021–2025
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory