Carpenter Lake (Vilas County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 976100 — permanent page /lakes/976100/.

Carpenter Lake is in Vilas County; records show 339 acres and DNR fish-frequency records.

Size

339 acres

Lake type

SEEPAGE

Max depth

16 ft

• 5 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 2024 (DNR stocking records)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 6.6 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

• HWY 70 PULL-OFF — Info site / fee station; ≈2.7 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• LOWER NINE MILE BOAT LANDING — Boating site; ≈5.5 km from the lake shoreline (straight line).
• ANVIL BL — Boating site; ≈6.1 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged.
• ANVIL TRAILHEAD #2 — Trailhead; ≈6.1 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged.
• ANVIL TRAILHEAD #1 — Trailhead; ≈6.2 km from the lake shoreline (straight line); fee charged.
• 23 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 5 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.

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

Stocking records: 13 documented events through 2024, 67,812 fish total. Species: Walleye (Frequent), Bluegill (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.

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 6.6 ft from 19 samples, latest sample 2024-08-28
• Satellite clarity estimate: 11.72 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.

Not published in the lake directory: official mean depth.

• AIS record: Chinese mystery snail — Verified

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: State Owned Islands (Wisconsin DNR); ≈2.3% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈9.7% developed land within 300 m, ≈1% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈59 m; ≈2.2 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
• 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.