Velvet Lake
Oneida County, Wisconsin34 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Velvet Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 16 ft max depth
Velvet Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 34 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Velvet Lake. DNR survey details →
Velvet Lake is a 34-acre mesotrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Compared to the 66 other monitored lakes in Oneida County, Velvet Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Velvet Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 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 Velvet 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 Velvet Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Velvet 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 12.8 ft. Phosphorus 14.6 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.6µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Velvet Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Velvet Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Velvet Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Velvet 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 2005. 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 Velvet 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).
- 2024Flannery and Velvet lakes spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
34 acres
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Stays near Velvet Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Velvet Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Oneida County
Frequently asked questions about Velvet Lake
Where is Velvet Lake?
- Velvet Lake is a lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Velvet Lake?
- Velvet Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 34 acres.
Is Velvet 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 Velvet Lake?
- Velvet Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Velvet Lake?
- Velvet Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 34 acres.
What fish are in Velvet Lake?
- Fish species found in Velvet Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass. Velvet Lake is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Velvet Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Velvet Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Velvet 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.
Explore Velvet Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
43 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_WQX43 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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes