Franklin Lake
Franklin Lake is a 839-acre lake in Forest County, Wisconsin, up to 46 feet deep, with 52 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore.
- Size: 839 acres
- Deepest point: 46 ft
- Average depth: 19 ft
- Bottom: 75% sand, 30% rock, 20% gravel
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore
- Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
- Local boating ordinances on record: water-skiing rules and slow-no-wake hours
- Drive time without traffic: Green Bay 3 hr, Appleton 3 hr 15 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 25 min, Madison 4 hr, Twin Cities 4 hr 25 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 35 min, Waukesha 4 hr 35 min, Rockford 4 hr 55 min, Chicago 5 hr 55 min
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Rusty Crayfish
- Waterfront parcels: 52 waterfront parcels
Questions about Franklin Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Franklin Lake?
52 waterfront parcels front Franklin Lake in Forest County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Franklin Lake?
Franklin Lake covers 839 acres in Forest County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Franklin Lake?
Franklin Lake is 46 feet deep at its deepest point, and 19 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Franklin Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Franklin Lake.
Is there public access to Franklin Lake?
Yes. Franklin Lake has a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Franklin Lake?
Franklin 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 water-skiing rules and slow-no-wake hours; the ordinance itself says which part of the lake or the day each covers.
How long is the drive to Franklin Lake?
By car, Franklin Lake is about 3 hr from Green Bay, 3 hr 15 min from Appleton, 3 hr 25 min from Eau Claire, 4 hr 25 min from the Twin Cities and 5 hr 55 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Franklin Lake like?
The lake bottom is 75% sand, 30% rock, 20% gravel, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.