Cable Lake (Bayfield County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 2729700 — permanent page /lakes/2729700/.

Cable Lake is in Bayfield County; records show 159 acres and 1 DNR access-site record.

Size

159 acres

Lake type

DRAINAGE

Max depth

43 ft

Mean depth

10 ft

• 1 documented public access site record (DNR access inventory)
• 3 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 1986 (DNR stocking records)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 15.2 ft (field measurements)
• 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 — Yes
• Lake directory: public beach — No
• Lake directory: public park — No
• DNR public-access inventory: 1 documented access site record
• DNR public-access inventory: documented developed boat ramp
• 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

• LAKE OWEN OUTLET — Boating site; ≈10.3 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈10.7 km from the associated access point (straight line).
• LAKE OWEN PICNIC — Picnic site; ≈10.8 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈11.2 km from the associated access point (straight line); fee charged. Official USFS page
• DRUMMOND SKI/CAMBA TH — Trailhead; ≈11.4 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈11.9 km from the associated access point (straight line); fee charged.
• TWO LAKES — Campground; ≈11.7 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈12 km from the associated access point (straight line); fee charged. Official USFS page
• PIGEON LAKE — Boating site; ≈12.2 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); ≈12.7 km from the associated access point (straight line).
• 6 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: Largemouth Bass—Common; Northern Pike—Common; Panfish—Common; not population counts.

Stocking records: 2 documented events through 1986, 170,890 fish total. Species: Northern Pike (Historic), Largemouth Bass (Historic). Events in 2015 or later count as recent.

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

• Quality Fishing Waters — Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 18 inch minimum length limit (as listed on the DNR quality-waters page; not a complete regulations list)

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 15.2 ft from 92 samples, latest sample 2025-07-13
• Satellite clarity estimate: 9.94 ft (2017) — a remote-sensing estimate, kept separate from field measurements
• Lake directory clarity class: Moderate

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

• AIS record: Purple loosestrife — Verified, latest documented 2009-05-01
• AIS record: Yellow iris — Verified, latest documented 2023-07-25

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): mapped public land within 1,000 ft; nearest: Buffalo Lake - Twin Rock Island (Wisconsin DNR); ≈6.1% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈6.7% developed land within 300 m, ≈0.6% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈17 m; ≈1.8 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)
• Public access site inventory
• 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.