Katinka Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin170 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Katinka Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Katinka Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 170 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Katinka Lake. DNR survey details →
Katinka Lake is a 170-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 60 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 2024-05-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Katinka Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water60 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 Katinka 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 Katinka Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Katinka Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | 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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Katinka Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Katinka Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Katinka 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Surface area
170 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,634 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Katinka Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Katinka Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.61 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Katinka Lake
Where is Katinka Lake?
- Katinka 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 Katinka Lake?
- Katinka Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 170 acres.
Is Katinka Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Katinka Lake?
- Katinka Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 170 acres.
What fish are in Katinka Lake?
- Fish species found in Katinka Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Katinka Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Katinka Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Katinka Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Katinka 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.
Can I fish at Katinka Lake?
- Public access to Katinka 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.
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Where this data comes from
11 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 Resources
WIDNR_WQX11 samples · 2020–2024
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