Where is North Turtle Lake?

North Turtle Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is North Turtle Lake?

North Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 359 acres.

Are there boat ramps on North Turtle Lake?

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

Can I fish at North Turtle Lake?

North Turtle 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.

North Turtle Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin359 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

8.5 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

15.4 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Max depth

58 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

359 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Trend

Improving

7 years of samples

Mesotrophic
Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
Rusty Crayfish
58 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

North Turtle Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 359 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on North Turtle Lake. DNR survey details →

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North Turtle Lake is a 359-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, North Turtle Lake ranks #5 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What North Turtle Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing6 species recorded
Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Recreation use not supported

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. North Turtle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether North Turtle 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 Minocqua →

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Water quality measurements for North Turtle Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for North Turtle 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 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 15.4 µg/L. TSI 45.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	8.5ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	15.4µg/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.	45	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about North Turtle Lake

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

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for North Turtle Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (135,519 cells/mL) on May 28, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on North Turtle Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Turtle 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1991. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Reported

Trophic State Index 44 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Musky(Common)Panfish(Common)Walleye(Common)Largemouth Bass(Present)Smallmouth Bass(Present)Northern Pike(Present)

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

Lake Details

Max depth

58 ft

Surface area

359 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

North Turtle 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 North Turtle Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near North Turtle 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 North Turtle Lake

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Follow North Turtle Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye

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

Fishing North Turtle 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.

Rusty Crayfish

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).

Water clarity
Stable
7 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-0.51 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

North Turtle Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003782 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Vilas County

Lake Adelaide—View →Rock Lake6.2 ft clear · Eutrophic—View →Deer Lake—View →South Turtle Lake8 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Tamarack Lake—View →Constance Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about North Turtle Lake

Where is North Turtle Lake?: North Turtle 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 North Turtle Lake?: North Turtle Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 359 acres.
Is North Turtle Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Turtle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is North Turtle Lake?: North Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 359 acres.
What fish are in North Turtle Lake?: Fish species found in North Turtle Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. North Turtle Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at North Turtle Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on North Turtle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Turtle 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.
Does North Turtle Lake have blue-green algae?: There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for North Turtle Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (135,519 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on North Turtle Lake?: North Turtle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include North Turtle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at North Turtle Lake?: North Turtle 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.

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Where this data comes from

62 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX62 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-643249

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.