Mccullough Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin221 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Mccullough Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Rusty Crayfish
- 27 ft max depth
- Limited data
Mccullough Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 221 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mccullough Lake. DNR survey details →
Mccullough Lake is a 221-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Mccullough Lake ranks #68 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Mccullough Lake covers about 220 acres in Vilas County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Mccullough Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Mccullough Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Mccullough 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 Mccullough Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Mccullough Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 16.6 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.6µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Mccullough Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mccullough Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Aug (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mccullough Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mccullough Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mccullough 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 1990. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
221 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mccullough Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Mccullough Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mccullough 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
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.6 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Mccullough Lake
Where is Mccullough Lake?
- Mccullough 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 Mccullough Lake?
- Mccullough Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 221 acres.
Is Mccullough 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 Mccullough Lake?
- Mccullough Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mccullough Lake?
- Mccullough Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 221 acres.
What fish are in Mccullough Lake?
- Fish species found in Mccullough Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Mccullough Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mccullough Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Mccullough Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mccullough 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.
Explore Mccullough Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX23 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes