Clearwater Lake (Oneida, Vilas County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 1616400 — permanent page /lakes/1616400/.

Clearwater Lake is in Oneida, Vilas County; records show 360 acres and DNR fish-frequency records.

Size

360 acres

Lake type

SPRING

Max depth

48 ft

Mean depth

21 ft

• 6 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 12.5 ft (field measurements)
• Official DNR depth map available (PDF)

Back to results Show on map Depth map (PDF) Check current DNR regulations

Plan your visit

• Lake directory: public landing — No
• Lake directory: public beach — No
• Lake directory: public park — No

Each statement is bounded to its named source; absence of a record is never evidence of no access. The DNR access database may lag reality; posted signs at the landing are authoritative.

Verify at the DNR public boat access program page.

Nearby facilities

• LAUREL LAKE — Campground; ≈7.2 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged. Official USFS page
• LAUREL BL — Boating site; ≈7.4 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged.
• SAM CAMPBELL TRAILHEAD — Trailhead; ≈9.1 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• LOWER NINE MILE BOAT LANDING — Boating site; ≈9.6 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• SPRING LAKE FIRE TRAILHEAD — Trailhead; ≈9.9 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• 12 more inventoried sites within 15 km.

USFS Chequamegon-Nicolet constructed recreation sites only; straight-line distance is geographic context, not a travel route.

Fishing

The DNR lake page publishes 6 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.

DNR fish labels: Smallmouth Bass—Common; Walleye—Common; Largemouth Bass—Present; not population counts.

No fisheries survey population estimate is published for this lake in the covered report families.

• Musky reproductive status (DNR mapped): Reproduction UNK, stocking occurs (Cat. 0)

Fishing limits — 2026-2027 season: 19 normalized rows across 19 species entries. Normalized from the DNR ruleset retrieved 2026-08-04. Source text remains authoritative.

2026-2027 retained fishing rules: 19 published rows for 19 species; effective through 2027-03-07. Check current DNR rules.

Water and setting

• Field-measured summer Secchi clarity: median 12.5 ft from 18 samples, latest sample 2025-08-25
• Satellite clarity estimate: 10.8 ft (2017) — a remote-sensing estimate, kept separate from field measurements

Official DNR depth map (PDF) — Historical lake map; not for navigation. Link checked 2026-07-16.

• AIS record: Chinese mystery snail — Verified (vouchered), latest documented 2019-05-29
• AIS record: Eurasian watermilfoil — Verified (vouchered), latest documented 2015-06-22

Occurrence records come from a non-exhaustive DNR inventory; a record documents presence at observation time and a missing record is never evidence of absence.

• Public-land proximity (GIS proxy, not access evidence): none mapped within 1,000 ft; nearest: Statewide Natural Area (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources); ≈0% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈7.2% developed land within 300 m, ≈1.4% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈4 m; ≈2.2 km of road per km² within 1 km

• Priority Navigable Waterway — basis: musky area, walleye area

Designations are legally defined DNR records shown as their sources state them; no composite rating is implied.

Data & sources

Published data families

• Fish species and abundance (DNR lake pages)
• Fishing regulations (normalized snapshot)
• Directory access facts (landing, beach, park)
• Satellite water clarity estimate
• Field-measured Secchi clarity
• Aquatic invasive species occurrences

Original records: Wisconsin DNR lake page.

Missing values are unpublished, never zero; each fact above is bounded to its named source and date. Full sourcing detail: Data & methods.