Gates Lake (Ashland County)
Waterbody ID (WBIC): 1850200 — permanent page /lakes/1850200/.
Gates Lake is in Ashland County; records show 17 acres and 1 DNR access-site record.
- Size
- 17 acres
- Lake type
- SEEPAGE
- Max depth
- 17 ft
- Mean depth
- 9 ft
- 1 documented public access site record (DNR access inventory)
- 2 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
- Fish stocking documented through 2016 (DNR stocking records)
- Satellite clarity estimate 11.67 ft (2017)
- Official DNR depth map available (PDF)
Back to results Show on map Choose access / Directions Depth map (PDF) Check current DNR regulations
Plan your visit
- Lake directory: public landing — No
- Lake directory: public beach — No
- Lake directory: public park — Yes
- DNR public-access inventory: 1 documented access site record
- 1 site qualify for per-site Directions through the reviewed lake association (load the site details below)
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
- DHR TRAIL, GRASSY TH — Trailhead; ≈6.1 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈6.3 km from the associated access point (straight line).
- STOCK FARM BRIDGE CG — Campground; ≈6.8 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈6.9 km from the associated access point (straight line); fee charged.
- STOCK FARM BRIDGE BL — Boating site; ≈6.9 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈7 km from the associated access point (straight line).
- SPILLERBERG LAKE BL — Boating site; ≈11 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈11.4 km from the associated access point (straight line).
- DHR TRAIL, SLOUGH TH — Trailhead; ≈14 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈14.3 km from the associated access point (straight line).
USFS Chequamegon-Nicolet constructed recreation sites only; straight-line distance is geographic context, not a travel route.
Documented public access sites — load details
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Fishing
The DNR lake page publishes 2 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.
DNR fish labels: Largemouth Bass—Present; Musky—Present; not population counts.
Stocking records: 1 documented event through 2016, 338 fish total. Species: Largemouth Bass (Rare). Events in 2015 or later count as recent.
No fisheries survey population estimate is published for this lake in the covered report families.
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.
Fish species and abundance detail — load details
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Detailed stocking history — load details
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2026-2027 retained fishing rules: 19 published rows for 19 species; effective through 2027-03-07. Check current DNR rules.
Normalized fishing-regulation rows — load details
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Water and setting
- Satellite clarity estimate: 11.67 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.
No public aquatic invasive species occurrence record was found for this lake. The DNR inventory is non-exhaustive; absence of a record is never evidence of absence.
- Public-land proximity (GIS proxy, not access evidence): mapped public land within 1,000 ft; nearest: Chequamegon National Forest (USDA FOREST SERVICE); ≈100% of shoreline buffer
- Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈7.8% developed land within 300 m, ≈0.7% impervious
- Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈39 m; ≈0.9 km of road per km² within 1 km
- Priority Navigable Waterway — basis: lake under 50 acres
Designations are legally defined DNR records shown as their sources state them; no composite rating is implied.
Measured and satellite clarity records — load details
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Data & sources
Published data families
- Fish species and abundance (DNR lake pages)
- Fish stocking history
- Fishing regulations (normalized snapshot)
- Directory access facts (landing, beach, park)
- Public access site inventory
- Satellite water clarity estimate
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.