What does lake clarity mean when searching for Northern Wisconsin lakes?

Lake clarity is measured by Secchi disk readings and ranges from Extremely Clear (15+ feet, oligotrophic lakes) to Very Cloudy (under 4 feet, hypereutrophic lakes). Clearer lakes tend to have fewer weeds and more trophy-sized fish, while cloudier lakes support larger overall fish populations.

How does average lake depth affect water quality in Northern Wisconsin?

Deeper lakes are generally cleaner because sediments settle in oxygen-free water at the bottom and pollutants are diluted by higher water volume. Lakes with an average depth over 15 feet rarely have weed takeover problems. Very deep lakes (30+ feet average) are almost always quality lakes with excellent water clarity.

Why does distance from town matter when buying lake property in Northern Wisconsin?

Distance from town affects convenience, amenity access, and utility availability. Roads in Northern Wisconsin wind around lakes with low speed limits, so 10 miles can mean a 30-minute drive. Proximity to town increases chances of high-speed internet, natural gas (significantly cheaper than propane), and good cell reception. Multiple daily trips to town add up quickly on more remote lakes.

What is the best lake size for a Northern Wisconsin vacation home?

Lake size preference depends on intended use. Lakes over 600 acres are great for boating but tend to be busier. The 300-600 acre range offers a balance of views, space, and that classic 'Up North' feel. Lakes of 150-300 acres work well for most activities. Smaller lakes (100-150 acres) suit silent sport enthusiasts and can offer better pricing due to a smaller buyer pool. Size alone matters less than shoreline, depth, and lot orientation.

What is the difference between private, semi-private, and public lake access in Wisconsin?

Private lakes are fully owned by individuals or entities with no public access and no future development possible - they are very rare, with only a couple over 100 acres in Wisconsin. Semi-private lakes have no current public access but could potentially gain it in the future, accessed via private boat launches. Public lakes have public boat launches and access points and are the most common type, though smaller public lakes can still be quite peaceful.

Lake Finder Categories and Quick Links

The main lakefinder sort categories are explained on this page. If you click on any of the category titles (in blue), you will be taken to a filtered search showing lakes that match that category heading.

Lake Clarity

I have sorted the lakes into five categories of clarity. Personally, I am a big fan of the clear and extremely clear lakes because there is just a different feel to them, whether you are looking at them, boating on them, or swimming in them. Click on a category below to see all the lakes that meet those clarity specifications.

Extremely Clear

Secchi disk reading of 15 feet or more. Extremely clear water indicates an obligotrophic lake which is clear, deep, and largely free of weeds. The fish population is usually smaller, but there are more trophy size fish.
Very Clear

Secchi disk reading of 10 to 15 feet. These mesotrophic lakes are very clear lakes with few weeds. They often have more fish than an obligotrophic lake but less than an eutrophic one. There is good balance in mesotrophic lakes.
Clear

Secchi disk reading of 7 to 10 feet. These lakes fall between eutrophic and mesotrophic on the scale. They have more weeds and fish than the mesotrphic lakes and less weeds and fish than the eutrophic lakes.
Cloudy

Secchi disk reading of 4 to 7 feet. Lakes with murky water are considered to be eutrophic. They support a large fish population and have a fair amount of weeds.
Very Cloudy

Secchi disk reading of less than 4 feet. Very murky water means a lake is hypereutrophic. These lakes are very weedy and subject to frequent algae blooms. On the plus side, they support large fish populations.

Average Lake Depth

Lakes fall into four general categories of depth. Deep lakes are almost always quality lakes. They have the volume to filter sediments and dilute pollutants. More information is provided below.

Very Deep

Lakes with an average depth of 30 feet or more. The deeper the lake the cleaner the water is. Sediments can settle, once down in oxygen free water they remain settled. Fish waste and other pollutants are diluted with the higher volume of water.
Deep

Lakes with an average depth of 20 to 30 feet. Lakes in this depth range are deep enough to eliminate worries of a rampant takeover of weeds. They are very clean and often have good underwater structural variance that makes for good fishing.
Shallow

Lakes with an average depth of 7 to 20 feet. Lakes with these depths often have a bigger area of weeds along the shorelines and cleaner water in the deeper holes. These lakes can also be good fishing lakes.
Very Shallow

Lakes with an average depth of less than 7 feet. These lakes have more weed growth and there is potential for the whole lake to be overtaken by weeds. The lower volume of water also makes the water dirtier by nature.

Distance From Town (Round Trip)

Convenience is the most overlooked aspect when it comes to buying lake property. People often don't think to think about how the lake's location will affect them until after they have bought. Up here in the Northern Wisconsin, you can be 10 miles from town and it could be a 30 minute drive. Roads wind around lakes and have low speed limits. While it may be scenic and wonderful the first couple of times you drive the route, people seem to tire of wasting over an hour just to run to town for a couple of groceries. Proximity to town also increases or decreases the chances of high speed internet, natural gas and solid cell reception being available. Natural Gas is a key thing to look for because it is significantly cheaper to heat with natural gas than with propane or electric.

1-15 mins

Go to town, grab a bite to eat, pick up some supplies and get back without wasting away your precious vacation time. You will also be far more likely to find high speed internet, good cell phone reception and natural gas in places close to town.
16-30 mins

With the bigger towns like Rhinelander, Eagle River, and Minocqua you might still find high speed internet and good cell phone reception. Natural gas is less likely. Multiple trips to town for food or groceries start to eat a lot of time.
31-45 mins

The ability to plan ahead is more important when it takes more than a half hour to just drive to town and back. High speed internet and natural gas are less likely to be found. Cell phone reception may not be available.
46+ mins

For those that really want to get away from the crowds. There is no such thing as a quick trip to town for gas or groceries. High speed internet, natural gas, and cell phone reception are things that are available less often as you get further from town.

Lake Size

I've found that lake size is the hardest category to give advice on because size alone means so little. People usually have a number in their head as far as how many acre lake they want to be on and then as soon as they look at a few other size lakes the number starts to change. Shoreline, depth, lot location/orientation and many other factors contribute to whether a lake will work for you way more than does size.

600+ Acres

The biggest lakes in Northern Wisconsin. Lakes bigger than 600 acres are often the busiest lakes as they have the most people and the most public access points.....BUT because they are big they absorb traffic well so most don't seem too crazy. Especially the ones that aren't on chains.
300-600 Acres

My favorite sized lake. Big enough to provide great views and room to do whatever you want while still giving that picturesque "Up North" look where you look across the lake and see the meeting of forest, sky, and water.
150-300 Acres

These are lakes that can feel a little on the small side if you are looking to do a lot of watersking and such. You can certainly waterski on them without problems, but if a lot of people have the same idea it could get a little crowded. Lakes in this size range seem to be really pretty in the fall when you're looking across water to colors on the other side of the lake.
100-150 Acres

Lakes in this size range are more for the silent sport types. Personally, I like them quite a bit, but I'm not a daily waterskier either. One nice thing about smaller lakes is that the price is sometimes lower because the pool of buyers is a bit smaller.

Nearest Town

You can browse lakes by the town they are closest to by clicking on the links below. Minocqua, Eagle River and Rhinelander are the towns with the modern conveniences that many people expect a new home to have. Those would be things like good cell phone reception, high speed internet (although, fiber is in most places now), natural gas, and grocery and hardware stores. Some of the other towns have that as well, but it's more touch and go the further you move away from the town center.

Minocqua

Big town with hospital, grocery stores, many places to eat and drink, golf courses and more. Many clear lakes and a very popular chain provides many options for fun.
Eagle River

Probably the most well known vacation spot in Northern WI. Has a hospital, grocery stores, gas stations and other modern conveniences.
Three Lakes

Recently voted best town in America. I don't know what the criteria was for that, but it's a nice little town. It is a quaint town with gas station and places to eat located close to Eagle River.
Boulder Junction

Nice little town located North of Minocqua. Has a gas station, a couple places to eat and many nice clean lakes to enjoy. You'll find a lot of well maintained silent sport trails in the area.
Manitowish Waters

Small town just a twenty minute drive North of Minocqua. Home to very clear chain and quite a few places to eat and drink. Like Boulder Junction, there are a lot of really nice silent sport trails.
Rhinelander

The most "city-like" town in Northern Wisconsin. It's a sprawling town with everything you'd expect to find in a city up North. Minocqua is busier but Rhinelander has more of a city feel to me.
St. Germain

Small town located between Eagle River and Minocqua. It's central location makes for many options for dining, drinking, and finding stuff to do.
Lac Du Flambeau

Most well known for the Lake of the Torches Casino. It's a small town without a ton going on, but it is only a 20 minute drive from Minocqua.
Land O'Lakes

The smallest of our Northern Wisconsin towns sits just South of the Michigan border. It's a great place to find lots with more frontage for a reasonable price.
Mercer

Mercer is the most northern region I feature on the site. It is a quiet little town that is known for its lakes and snowmobiling scene.
Crandon

Crandon is the most eastern region on the site. It doesn't have as many lakes as the other regions, but Lucerne and Metonga are great lakes and it is closer to Green Bay.

Lake Access

The type of access a lake has really only matters if you are looking for a private or a semi-private lake. Public lakes are not all super-busy and super-crowded but they all have the potential to be such. You really have to check out a public lake for yourself to see how busy it is. If you want privacy and a more quiet, Northwoods atmosphere you are more likely to find it on a private or semi-private lake.

Private

The most rare type of lake. There are only a couple private lakes over over 100 acres in Wisconsin. A private lake is fully owned by an individual or an entity with no future development possible. The most quiet and controlled type of lake.
Semi-Private

This type of lake has no current public access. Access can be gained via privately owned boat launches. Public access is possible in the future. Semi-public lakes are very quiet and private in almost all cases.
Public

The most common type of lake with public boat launches and land that give access to this type of lake. A public lake has the highest activity level and least amount of privacy of the three types of lake access. Smaller public lakes are more peaceful.