Wisconsin Lake Finder

Palmer Lake

Palmer Lake is a 644-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, up to 13 feet deep, with 37 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include musky, 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: 644 acres
• Deepest point: 13 ft
• Average depth: 8 ft
• Bottom: 60% sand, 25% gravel, 10% rock, 5% muck
• Fish: Musky, 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
• Drive time without traffic: Green Bay 3 hr 25 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 30 min, Appleton 3 hr 35 min, Madison 4 hr 10 min, Twin Cities 4 hr 35 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 50 min, Waukesha 4 hr 50 min, Rockford 5 hr 5 min, Chicago 6 hr 5 min
• Invasive species on record: Chinese Mystery Snail, Eurasian Water-Milfoil
• Waterfront parcels: 37 waterfront parcels

Questions about Palmer Lake

How many waterfront properties are on Palmer Lake?

37 waterfront parcels front Palmer Lake in Vilas County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.

How big is Palmer Lake?

Palmer Lake covers 644 acres in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

How deep is Palmer Lake?

Palmer Lake is 13 feet deep at its deepest point, and 8 feet deep on average.

What fish are in Palmer Lake?

The Wisconsin DNR lists musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Palmer Lake.

Is there public access to Palmer Lake?

Yes. Palmer 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 Palmer Lake?

Palmer 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 Palmer Lake?

By car, Palmer Lake is about 3 hr 25 min from Green Bay, 3 hr 30 min from Eau Claire, 3 hr 35 min from Appleton, 4 hr 35 min from the Twin Cities and 6 hr 5 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.

What is the bottom of Palmer Lake like?

The lake bottom is 60% sand, 25% gravel, 10% rock, 5% muck, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.