Where is Hunter Lake?

Hunter 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 temperature of Hunter Lake?

Hunter Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Hunter Lake?

Hunter Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 175 acres.

What fish are in Hunter Lake?

Fish species found in Hunter Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Hunter Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on Hunter Lake?

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

Can I fish at Hunter Lake?

Hunter 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.

Hunter Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin175 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

12.6 ft

Clearer than most

Secchi · sampled 2025

Phosphorus

11.7 µg/L

Less phosphorus than most

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Water temp

~68°F

Typical for Sep · EPA WQP

Max depth

40 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

175 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Mesotrophic
40 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Hunter Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 175 acres.

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

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Hunter Lake is a 175-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Hunter Lake ranks #70 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Hunter Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Clear water12.6 ft of visibility
Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing4 species recorded
Deep water40 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 Hunter 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 Eagle River →

Get alerts for Hunter Lake →

Water quality measurements for Hunter Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Hunter 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 12.6 ft. Phosphorus 11.7 µg/L. TSI 40.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	12.6ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	11.7µg/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.	40	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Hunter Lake

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

Water Temperature

Hunter Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

74°

Jul

75°

Aug

68°

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (75°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hunter Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hunter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 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 1995. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Excellent · Deep Seepage lake

Trophic State Index 39 (oligotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Walleye(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Present)

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

Lake Details

Max depth

40 ft

Surface area

175 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

1 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

2.9 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,647 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Hunter 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 Hunter Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hunter 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 Hunter 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 Hunter Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Walleye

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

Fishing Hunter 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.

Chinese Mystery Snail

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).

Water clarity
Improving
5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening
+1.77 µg/L/yr5 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Vilas County

Lower Buckatabon Lake—View →Brazell Lake—View →Upper Buckatabon Lake—View →McLeod Lake—View →Boot Lake4 ft clear—View →Range Line Lake7.6 ft clear—View →

Frequently asked questions about Hunter Lake

Where is Hunter Lake?: Hunter 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 Hunter Lake?: Hunter Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 175 acres.
Is Hunter Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hunter Lake?: Hunter Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hunter Lake?: Hunter Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 175 acres.
What fish are in Hunter Lake?: Fish species found in Hunter Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Hunter Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hunter Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Hunter Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hunter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Hunter Lake?: Hunter Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hunter Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hunter Lake?: Hunter 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 Hunter Lake across LakeQuality

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Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Indian Lake

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Clearwater Lake

Oneida County · 16.8 ft

Sugar Camp Lake

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Perch Lake

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Round Lake

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Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Indian Lake North Nokomis Lake Perch Lake Bass Lake

Where this data comes from

45 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX45 samples · 2021–2025

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-643069

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