Chain Lake
Chain Lake is a 454-acre lake in Rusk and Chippewa counties, Wisconsin, up to 74 feet deep, with 177 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has a public boat landing.
- Size: 454 acres
- Deepest point: 74 ft
- Average depth: 18 ft
- Fish: Musky, Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: a public boat landing
- Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
- Local boating ordinances on record: slow-no-wake areas
- Drive time without traffic: Eau Claire 55 min, Twin Cities 1 hr 55 min, Madison 3 hr 30 min, Green Bay 3 hr 35 min, Appleton 3 hr 40 min, Waukesha 4 hr 10 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 20 min, Rockford 4 hr 25 min, Chicago 5 hr 25 min
- Invasive species on record: Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Purple Loosestrife, Rusty Crayfish
- Waterfront parcels: 177 waterfront parcels
Questions about Chain Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Chain Lake?
177 waterfront parcels front Chain Lake: 105 in Rusk County and 72 in Chippewa County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Chain Lake?
Chain Lake covers 454 acres in Rusk and Chippewa counties, Wisconsin.
How deep is Chain Lake?
Chain Lake is 74 feet deep at its deepest point, and 18 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Chain Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Chain Lake.
Is there public access to Chain Lake?
Yes. Chain Lake has a public boat landing.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Chain Lake?
Chain Lake is over 50 acres, so Wisconsin's slow-no-wake rule for small lakes does not apply and boats may run at speed, staying slow within 100 feet of shore, docks and swimmers. Local ordinances on record include slow-no-wake areas; the ordinance itself says which part of the lake or the day each covers.
How long is the drive to Chain Lake?
By car, Chain Lake is about 55 min from Eau Claire, 1 hr 55 min from the Twin Cities, 3 hr 30 min from Madison and 5 hr 25 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.