Picture Lake (Bayfield County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 2489300 — permanent page /lakes/2489300/.

Picture Lake is in Bayfield County; records show 50 acres and DNR fish-frequency records.

Size

50 acres

Lake type

SEEPAGE

Max depth

8 ft

Mean depth

4 ft

• 3 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 1986 (DNR stocking records)
• Satellite clarity estimate 7.97 ft (2017)
• 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 — Yes

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

• LAKE OWEN OUTLET — Boating site; ≈7.2 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• LAKE OWEN PICNIC — Picnic site; ≈7.7 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged. Official USFS page
• DRUMMOND SKI/CAMBA TH — Trailhead; ≈8.4 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged.
• TWO LAKES — Campground; ≈8.8 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged. Official USFS page
• DRUMMOND WOODS TRAILHEAD — Trailhead; ≈10.2 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• 9 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 3 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.

DNR fish labels: Northern Pike—Common; Largemouth Bass—Present; Panfish—Present; not population counts.

Stocking records: 9 documented events through 1986, 234,530 fish total. Species: Northern Pike (Historic), Largemouth Bass (Historic), Walleye (Historic), Bluegill (Historic). 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.

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

Water and setting

• Satellite clarity estimate: 7.97 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); ≈0% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈11% developed land within 300 m, ≈1.3% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈16 m; ≈3.5 km of road per km² within 1 km

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)
• 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.