Bony Lake (Bayfield County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 2742500 — permanent page /lakes/2742500/.

Bony Lake is in Bayfield County; records show 190 acres and DNR fish-frequency records.

Size

190 acres

Lake type

DRAINAGE

Max depth

55 ft

Mean depth

23 ft

• 6 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 2009 (DNR stocking records)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 19.5 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

• BECK ROAD — Trailhead; ≈10.3 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• PIGEON LAKE — Boating site; ≈12.1 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).

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: Largemouth Bass—Common; Northern Pike—Common; Panfish—Common; not population counts.

Stocking records: 23 documented events through 2009, 286,042 fish total. Species: Walleye (Historic), Muskellunge And Hybrids (Historic). Events in 2015 or later count as recent.

Fisheries survey population estimates are published for this lake; survey estimates are historical point-in-time studies and are never compared or ranked here.

• Musky reproductive status (DNR mapped): Natural reproduction plus stocking (Cat. 2)

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 19.5 ft from 21 samples, latest sample 2025-08-22
• Satellite clarity estimate: 15.56 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): none mapped within 1,000 ft; nearest: Birch Lake - Elm Island (Wisconsin DNR); ≈0% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈21.7% developed land within 300 m, ≈3.3% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈19 m; ≈2.9 km of road per km² within 1 km

• Mapped critical habitat: 12 sensitive-area polygons — ≈19.9 ac (≈10.5% of lake area), partial-waterbody scope
• 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)
• Fish stocking history
• Fishing regulations (normalized snapshot)
• Directory access facts (landing, beach, park)
• Satellite water clarity estimate
• Field-measured Secchi clarity
• Fisheries survey population estimates

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.