Vern Wolf Lake
Kenosha County, Wisconsin150 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Vern Wolf Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Vern Wolf Lake in Kenosha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 150 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Vern Wolf Lake. DNR survey details →
Vern Wolf Lake is a 150-acre lake in Kenosha County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Vern Wolf Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingBacteria tested: exceedances
Based on E. coli testing, Vern Wolf Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 20.2% of 406 samples across 9 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Wisconsin’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Vern Wolf 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 Vern Wolf Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Vern Wolf Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | 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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Vern Wolf Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Vern Wolf Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Vern Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
150 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
784 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Vern Wolf LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Vern Wolf Lake
- Richard Bong State Recreation Area Sunrise Campground0.9 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Vern Wolf Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Vern Wolf Lake in Kenosha 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 Vern Wolf Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Vern Wolf 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Vern Wolf Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bong Recreation Area 8 (completed 1972), built primarily for recreation on the TR. BRIGHTON CREEK; earth-type dam, 10 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 158 ac
- Normal storage
- 600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01149 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.44 km)
Nearby Lakes in Kenosha County
Frequently asked questions about Vern Wolf Lake
Where is Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf Lake is a lake in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf Lake in Kenosha County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 150 acres.
Is Vern Wolf Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Vern Wolf Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 20.2% of 406 samples across 9 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Vern Wolf Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Wisconsin's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
How deep is Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 150 acres.
What fish are in Vern Wolf Lake?
- Fish species found in Vern Wolf Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Vern Wolf Lake is located in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Vern Wolf Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Vern Wolf Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Vern Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Vern Wolf Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf 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.
Are there campgrounds on Vern Wolf Lake?
- Vern Wolf Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Richard Bong State Recreation Area Sunrise Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Vern Wolf Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX4 samples · 2022–2024
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles