Forest Lake
Forest Lake is a 468-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, up to 60 feet deep, with 190 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has a public boat landing.
- Size: 468 acres
- Deepest point: 60 ft
- Average depth: 29 ft
- Bottom: 60% sand, 25% rock, 15% gravel
- Fish: 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
- Drive time without traffic: Green Bay 3 hr 15 min, Appleton 3 hr 25 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 30 min, Madison 4 hr 5 min, Twin Cities 4 hr 30 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 45 min, Waukesha 4 hr 45 min, Rockford 5 hr, Chicago 6 hr
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Eurasian Water-Milfoil
- Waterfront parcels: 190 waterfront parcels
Questions about Forest Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Forest Lake?
190 waterfront parcels front Forest Lake in Vilas County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Forest Lake?
Forest Lake covers 468 acres in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Forest Lake?
Forest Lake is 60 feet deep at its deepest point, and 29 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Forest Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Forest Lake.
Is there public access to Forest Lake?
Yes. Forest Lake has a public boat landing.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Forest Lake?
Forest 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. No local boating ordinance that limits motorboats is on record.
How long is the drive to Forest Lake?
By car, Forest Lake is about 3 hr 15 min from Green Bay, 3 hr 25 min from Appleton, 3 hr 30 min from Eau Claire, 4 hr 30 min from the Twin Cities and 6 hr from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Forest Lake like?
The lake bottom is 60% sand, 25% rock, 15% gravel, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.