Lily Lake
Forest County, Wisconsin217 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lily Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Rusty Crayfish
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lily Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 217 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Lily Lake. DNR survey details →
Lily Lake is a 217-acre lake in Forest County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 24 feet. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lily Lake covers about 220 acres in Forest County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lily Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lily Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lily 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 Lily Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lily 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 11.5 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lily Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lily Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2025–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lily Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Lily Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lily Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 2009. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lily 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).
- 2022Lily Lake fisheries summary, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
24 ft
Surface area
217 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,532 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lily 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 Lily Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lily Lake in Forest 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 Lily Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Lily Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lily 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: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lily Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lily Lake (completed 1976), built primarily for recreation on the LILY RIVER; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 213 ac
- Normal storage
- 600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Town Of Nashville
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI12668 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Forest County
Frequently asked questions about Lily Lake
Where is Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake is a lake in Forest County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 217 acres.
Is Lily 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 Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The lake covers 217 acres.
What fish are in Lily Lake?
- Fish species found in Lily Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Lily Lake is located in Forest County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lily Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Lily Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lily Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lily Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lily Lake?
- Lily 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 Lily Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Forest County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Wolf River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
75 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX75 samples · 2020–2026
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