Water, Invasives, and Fishing
About Stormy Lake
Stormy Lake is a 523 acre seepage lake (i.e., no obvious inlet or outlet) with a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake has a sandy bottom with relatively little structure and sparse vegetation.
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Fish Populations and Regulations
Small mouth bass - Stormy Lake has a sustainable population of small mouth.
Brown trout - 3,038 yearling trout were stocked in Stormy Lake by the DNR in 2024.
For the 2026–2027 season on Stormy Lake, largemouth and smallmouth bass have a 14-inch minimum length limit with a daily bag limit of 5. Cisco and whitefish can be harvested year-round with no minimum length and a daily bag limit of 10.
Key 2026–2027 Stormy Lake Regulations:
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Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass:
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May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027: 14" minimum length, 5 daily bag limit.
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Cisco and Whitefish: Open all year, no minimum length, 10 daily bag limit.
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Trout: Trout fishing on Stormy Lake follows Wisconsin's general inland trout regulations for lakes, opening May 2, 2026 through Oct. 15, 2026.
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A daily bag limit of 5 trout and a 10-inch minimum length generally apply, with special hook restrictions from September 15th.
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Gear Restriction: From Sept. 15 through the first Saturday in May, hooks with a gap larger than one-half inch from point to shank are prohibited.
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License: A Wisconsin fishing license and trout stamp are required.
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General Wisconsin Regulations:
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License: A 2026–2027 Wisconsin fishing license is required for ages 16 and older.
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Daily Total: The total daily bag limit for all species combined is 25, though species-specific limits apply (e.g., five total bass).
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Rods: Anglers may use up to three hooks, baits, or lures.
Secchi Testing
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The disc was visible to 14 feet in June 2024 and 17 feet in June 2025. The clearest measurement was 23 feet several years ago.
​​​​2023 Stormy Lake Shoreline Assessment
In 2023, Vilas County Land and Water Conservation performed an extensive Assessment of Stormy Lake.
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"Stormy Lake has excellent water quality with average aquatic plant community diversity & stability. It is a nutrient poor system and is sparsely colonized with plants. However, its shoreline is developed beyond the point of best practice. Landowners should take care to minimize impacts of development to maintain the excellent water quality and fish & wildlife of Stormy Lake."
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Their report is here. In summary:
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Recommendations on Water Quality:
Continue monitoring through Citizen Lake Monitoring Network
Secchi depth
Total phosphorus
Chlorophyll a
Dissolved oxygen
Temperature
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Recommendations on Aquatic Invasive Species:
Monitor annually through the Citizen Lake Monitoring program
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Continue Clean Boats Clean Waters program to the extent possible, but at least on busy holidays/weekends
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Recommendations on Aquatic Plant Point:
Offer information on the aquatic plants of Stormy Lake to riparian owners, and how plant provide habitat for fish and other aquatic life
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Recommendations for Shorelines:
Consider adding more wood to the lake through tree drops or fish sticks – permits are likely needed through DNR and/or Zoning. Check with DNR fisheries biologist first!
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Offer info to landowners on how shoreline buffers serve the lake & straight roads/trails/stairs to the lake
Encourage restoration of areas of bare soil, sloping lawn/soil, point sources
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Share info about conservation easements with landowners who have over 500 ft of shoreline
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Offer information on both DIY & professional options for restoring
shoreline buffers, stabilizing banks, and managing runoff/erosion and how to get technical and financial assistance for landowners
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Recommendations for Homeowners:
Connect with state and regional groups: WI Lakes and Vilas County Lakes & Rivers Association
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Distribute educational materials/messages on water quality as well as the importance of shoreline buffers & and coarse wood habitat
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Share Courtesy Code with landowners & guests; create communication tools as needed for landowners, landowners’ guests, and short-term renters.​
A PowerPoint with recommendations is here.
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Stormy Lake's "State of the Lake" report is on page 19 of the full report.
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Preventing Invasives
In 2025, Stormy Lake participated in the WIsconsin DNR "Clean Boats Clean Waters" grant program. The program provides boat inspectors to perform boat and trailer checks, hand out informational brochures, and educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
With a contract with UW-Oshkosh, we had student interns stationed at our boat landing for approximately 200 hours. The intern's responsibilities:
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Monitor boat landings for aquatic invasive species (AIS)
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Conduct outreach with boat users in order to educate them on AIS issues
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Perform boat inspections at the landing
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Enter data in the WI DNR SWIMS database
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Attend trainings, updates, and other meetings, as needed
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Help with sampling and monitoring as requested by the association
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The DNR maintains a statewide database, which contains tallies of information tracked at landings. The UW-Extension (UWEX) Lakes trains new boat inspectors and coordinates the volunteer efforts.
Maintaining boat cleanliness is important to Stormy Lake. In 2007, Stormy was one of the first Wisconsin inland lakes to be infected by the spiny water flea. This invasive eats zooplankton and competes with small fish for food sources. Other DNR-identified invasives include the rusty crayfish and the Chinese mystery snail. Eurasian water-milfoil has been identified in several nearby lakes and we hope to keep it from colonizing Stormy.
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"Clean, Drain, and Dry"
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To prevent spread of invasive species, all boats, trailers, and equipment should be cleaned when moving from lake-to-lake, using hot water if possible. All visible plants, animals, or mud should be removed. All water should be drained from the boat, motor, bilge, live wells, and bait containers. A best practice includes letting the boat dry before using it again.
