Roach Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin48 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Roach Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 48 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Roach Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 48 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Roach Lake. DNR survey details →
Roach Lake is a 48-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-08-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Roach Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water24 ft of visibility
- Deep water48 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 Roach 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 Roach Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Roach 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 24 ft down. TSI 31.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 24ft | 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. | 31 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Roach Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Roach Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Roach Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2023).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
48 ft
Surface area
48 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,647 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Roach Lake
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Follow Roach Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Roach Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable2 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Roach Lake
Where is Roach Lake?
- Roach 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 Roach Lake?
- Roach Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 48 acres.
Is Roach Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Roach Lake?
- Roach Lake has a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake covers 48 acres.
What fish are in Roach Lake?
- Fish species found in Roach Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Roach Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Roach Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Roach Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Roach Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Roach Lake?
- Public access to Roach 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
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX6 samples · 2020–2023
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