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Wisconsin›Best lakes›Smallmouth Bass›Forest County

WI · ranked by public data

Smallmouth Bass Lakes with DNR Evidence in Forest County, Wisconsin

12 Forest County lakes have a DNR smallmouth bass status record; 10 lakes with status, survey, or report evidence met our criteria (2 excluded for no verified public access), out of 195 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.

  1. Comparable adult spring electrofishing catch per effort (adult fish/mile) — one lake recorded, no peer rank

    –
    839 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Franklin Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.94, -89.00839 acres | 46 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Panfish

    adult spring electrofishing catch per effort (adult fish/mile) · one comparable lake, so no peer rank

    Why this lake is listed
    • No numeric rank: this survey system has no eligible same-system peer
    • Survey rate: 30 adult fish/mile
    • Survey recency: 2025
    • Survey method: Spring electrofishing
    • DNR status (unscored): Common (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (Smallmouth bass)
  2. Comparable spring electrofishing catch per effort (fish/mile) — one lake recorded, no peer rank

    –
    839 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Franklin Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.94, -89.00839 acres | 46 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Panfish

    spring electrofishing catch per effort (fish/mile) · one comparable lake, so no peer rank

    Why this lake is listed
    • No numeric rank: this survey system has no eligible same-system peer
    • Survey rate: 23.79 fish/mile
    • Survey recency: 2025
    • Survey method: Spring electrofishing
    • DNR status (unscored): Common (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (Smallmouth bass)
  3. Documented species evidence — unranked and alphabetical

    –
    1,246 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Butternut Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.91, -88.991,246 acres | 42 ft max2 public access pointsSmallmouth Bass, Walleye

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Abundant (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: no survey on record
  4. –
    404 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Julia Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.80, -89.04404 acres | 45 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Musky

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Present (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: no survey on record
  5. –
    51 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Lake Gordon

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.71, -88.5151 acres | 30 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Panfish

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Present (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (Smallmouth Bass)
  6. –
    106 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Lake Laura

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.71, -88.50106 acres | 22 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Present (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (Smallmouth Bass)
  7. –
    1,039 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Lake Lucerne

    enhancedDepth mapAIS recordedWater data
    45.53, -88.851,039 acres | 73 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Walleye

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Abundant (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: no survey on record
  8. –
    2,039 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Metonga Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.54, -88.902,039 acres | 79 ft max3 public access pointsSmallmouth Bass, Walleye

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Common (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: no survey on record
  9. –
    1,673 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Pine Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.68, -88.981,673 acres | 15 ft max4 public access pointsSmallmouth Bass, Panfish

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Common (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (Smallmouth Bass)
  10. –
    435 acres

    Forest County, WI

    Roberts Lake

    enhancedDepth mapWater data
    45.46, -88.79435 acres | 31 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Musky

    Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system

    Why this lake is listed
    • DNR status (unscored): Present (Smallmouth Bass)
    • DNR fisheries survey evidence: no survey on record
RankLakeCountyAcresSystem scorePrimary score signalSurvey measurementMetric yearFishing reportDNR statusSmallmouth Bass stocking
—Silver LakeForest317————No · 0% signalCommon (Smallmouth Bass)—

Methodology

How this list is built

County ranks use the same statewide exact-family contract; systems with at least two eligible county peers restart at #1. The score is 55% survey rate × acreage, 30% survey rate, and 10% recency, plus 5% for a current species report. Catch-per-effort × acreage is only an opportunity index, never a literal fish count. Documented acreage plus verified public or shore access are eligibility gates. Unsupported methods stay documented but unranked. See the complete definitions on the statewide smallmouth bass ranking.

FAQ

Forest County smallmouth bass fishing FAQ

Which smallmouth bass lakes receive a numeric county rank?

0 lakes receive at least one peer-backed, exact-lake numeric rank. Catch-per-effort systems separate species, phase, gear, unit, and sampled population; standardized adult-density estimates form their own system, so systems with at least two eligible county peers can each have a #1 in Forest County.

How many Forest County lakes have smallmouth bass?

12 Forest County lakes have a DNR smallmouth bass status record. Numeric rank still requires an exact comparable family plus the acreage and access gates.

Best smallmouth bass lakes statewideBest musky in Forest CountyBest walleye in Forest CountyBest panfish in Forest CountyBest largemouth bass in Forest CountyBest northern pike in Forest CountyAll Forest County lakes

Source data: Wisconsin DNR lake, stocking, and fisheries records as aggregated by LakeList. Rankings are LakeList's computed opinion from public agency data, not a DNR endorsement. Conditions and regulations change — verify access and rules before you go.