Rest Lake (Vilas County)

Vilas, Wisconsin

Rest Lake is a 655-acre lake in the Manitowish Waters area of Vilas County with a maximum depth of 53 feet. Musky, walleye, northern pike and panfish are listed as common.

Air temp in Manitowish Waters, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Rest Lake (Vilas County) (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area655 acres

Max depth53 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Muskellunge●●●○○

Listed as common

Walleye●●●○○

Listed as common

Northern Pike●●●○○

Listed as common

Bluegill●●●○○

Panfish listed as common

Crappie●●●○○

Panfish listed as common

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Reported present

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

Reported present

Boat launches

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

Rest Lake public boat landingPublic
Staynorthern lists 1 public landing (Rest Lake Access); verify with WDNRDirections ↗
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 20-24 in protected; only 1 over 24 in; Open May 2, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	15 in	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2 to Jun 19, 2026	14 in	5 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass Jun 20, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	14 in	5 / day
Smallmouth Bass May 2 to Jun 19, 2026; catch and release only	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day
Northern Pike Open May 2, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2 to 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
Trout See specific trout regulations	Varies	Varies

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 Rest Lake (Vilas County) ↗

Local tips

Sand and gravel areas hold walleye
Weed edges suit musky and pike
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.

More Wisconsin lakes

Lake Puckaway Lake DuBay Lake Winneshiek Lake Winneconne Willow Flowage Lake Vieux Desert Lac Vieux Desert Trout Lake All Wisconsin lakes →

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