Towanda Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin139 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Towanda Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Towanda Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 139 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Towanda Lake. DNR survey details →
Towanda Lake is a 139-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 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, Towanda Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Towanda Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Towanda 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 Towanda Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Towanda 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 12.7 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.7µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Towanda Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Towanda Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Apr (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 78 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Towanda Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Towanda Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Towanda 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 1992. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
139 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,614 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Towanda 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 Towanda Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Towanda Lake
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Follow Towanda Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Towanda 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
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.38 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Towanda Lake
Where is Towanda Lake?
- Towanda 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 Towanda Lake?
- Towanda Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 139 acres.
Is Towanda 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 Towanda Lake?
- Towanda Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, from 78 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Towanda Lake?
- Towanda Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 139 acres.
What fish are in Towanda Lake?
- Fish species found in Towanda Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Towanda Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Towanda Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Towanda Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Towanda 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 Towanda Lake?
- Towanda Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Towanda Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Towanda Lake?
- Towanda 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 Towanda Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
130 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_WQX130 samples · 2020–2026
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
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