US lakes & ponds
Wisconsin › Vilas County › Manitowish Waters › Sturgeon Lake

Sturgeon Lake

Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin — Vilas County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
29Surface acres
0.2 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 69884936).

Location & fast facts

Where Sturgeon Lake is in Wisconsin

The red circle marks Sturgeon Lake.

Fast facts

About Sturgeon Lake

  • County: Vilas
  • Town: Manitowish Waters
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 236 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. Walleye, Musky, Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass
  • Walking. 0.2 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 32 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)

18 ftMaximum depth
32Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by the Wisconsin DNR (with DNR abundance rating): Panfish (common), Musky (present), Largemouth Bass (present), Smallmouth Bass (present), Northern Pike (present), Walleye (present), Sturgeon (present).

Average depth not published.

DNR lake class: Complex - Riverine

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Page for Sturgeon Lake (WBIC 2327200); maximum depth and acreage from the DNR lake classification data. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Sturgeon 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 69884936), 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

0.2 miTrail within 70 m of shore
About 15%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 70 m (230 ft) of the Sturgeon Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

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 Sturgeon Lake

We found 32 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Sturgeon Lake, 7 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 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 (46.1377, -89.9032). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon Lake

    How big is Sturgeon Lake?

    Sturgeon Lake covers about 29 acres in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin (Vilas County).

    How deep is Sturgeon Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 18 feet, according to the Wisconsin DNR Lake Pages.

    What fish are in Sturgeon Lake?

    Wisconsin DNR Lake Pages lists Walleye, Musky, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Panfish and Sturgeon.

    Are there campgrounds near Sturgeon Lake?

    Yes. We list 32 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 7 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Sturgeon Lake?

    Sturgeon Lake touches Manitowish Waters in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Sturgeon 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 Manitowish Waters