Manitowish Lake

Vilas, Wisconsin

Manitowish Lake is a 496-acre lake in Vilas County near Manitowish Waters with a maximum depth of 61 feet. WDNR lists musky, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye as common, and largemouth bass and panfish as present.

Air temp in Manitowish Waters, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Manitowish Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area496 acres

Max depth61 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Muskellunge●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Northern Pike●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Walleye●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Listed as present by WDNR

Bluegill●●○○○

Panfish listed as present by WDNR

Crappie●●○○○

Panfish listed as present by WDNR

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Manitowish Lake public boat landingsPublic
Public boat access; landing details not verifiedDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all landingsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	15 in (no 20-24 in; 1 over 24 in)	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2-June 19, 2026	14 in	5 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass June 20, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	14 in	5 / day
Smallmouth Bass May 2-June 19, 2026; catch and release only	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day
Northern Pike May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2-Dec 31, 2026; open water only	40 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Lake Sturgeon Closed; no fishing allowed	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Townline SportsNearby
5198 US Highway 51, Manitowish Waters, WI 54545(715) 543-2371 Directions ↗
Northern Highland SportsNearby
10369 Main St, Boulder Junction, WI 54512(715) 385-2134 Directions ↗
Turtle River Trading CoNearby
5227 US Highway 51, Mercer, WI 54547(715) 476-0123 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Manitowish Lake ↗

Local tips

Smallmouth and walleye relate to rock and gravel structure
Musky and pike hold along weed edges
Check WDNR regulations for musky and walleye before keeping fish

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.