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Afterglow Lake

Phelps, Wisconsin — Vilas County.

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32Surface acres
1.5 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 70330649).

Location & fast facts

Where Afterglow Lake is in Wisconsin

The red circle marks Afterglow Lake.

Fast facts

About Afterglow Lake

  • County: Vilas
  • Town: Phelps
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 218 mi from Milwaukee and 82 mi from Wausau, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Wisconsin

Official Wisconsin DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Fishing. Smallmouth Bass and Trout
  • Walking. 1.5 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 18 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake data (Wisconsin DNR)

32Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by the Wisconsin DNR (with DNR abundance rating): Smallmouth Bass (common), Trout (common).

Maximum depth and Average depth not published.

DNR lake class: Simple - Cool - Clear

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Page for Afterglow Lake (WBIC 1624100); maximum depth and acreage from the DNR lake classification data. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Afterglow Lake shoreline

0.1 mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the Wisconsin DNR boat access sites data.

Shoreline trail

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 70330649), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Wisconsin DNR boat access sites. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.5 miTrail within 70 m of shore
About 75%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.5 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 70 m (230 ft) of the Afterglow Lake shoreline, mostly along the east and west shores. They follow about 75% of the shore, so you can walk most of the way around but not a full loop.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 70 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Afterglow Lake

We found 18 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Afterglow Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

12 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Wisconsin

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (46.0858, -89.0845). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Afterglow Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Afterglow Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Afterglow Lake

    How big is Afterglow Lake?

    Afterglow Lake covers about 32 acres in Phelps, Wisconsin (Vilas County).

    What fish are in Afterglow Lake?

    Wisconsin DNR Lake Pages lists Smallmouth Bass and Trout.

    Are there campgrounds near Afterglow Lake?

    Yes. We list 18 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Afterglow Lake?

    Afterglow Lake touches Phelps in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Afterglow Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Wisconsin lakes & ponds · All waters in Phelps