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Wisconsin›Florence County›Sea Lion Lake

Sea Lion Lake

Enhanced dataInteractive depth contours
--°FLoading forecastWind pendingHumidity pendingPending fishingForecast
Sea Lion LakeFlorence County, WI
Contours load with map Access
Interactive depth contours10-foot typical interval · Sonar-derived depth (C-MAP Genesis) · Gaps interpolated · Not for navigation
Source: C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived)high confidence · QA passed · Select a contour to inspect its mapped depthDepths decoded from C-MAP Genesis Social Map community sonar recordings (used with permission), covering 98% of the lake. Small gaps between recordings are smoothly connected; larger unrecorded areas follow the lake's depth model calibrated to the DNR-documented 82-ft maximum depth. More accurate than a pure model, but still an estimate. Not for navigation.

LakeList assistant

Plan your lake day

Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Sea Lion Lake.

Start here

Fishing

Fishing at Sea Lion Lake

5 notable speciesAngler catch reportsFishing regulationsWeather windows

Fishery

Notable species

PanfishLargemouth BassNorthern PikeSmallmouth BassWalleye
Best walleye lakes in Wisconsin →Best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin →Best panfish lakes in Wisconsin →Best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin →Best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin →

Angler reports · Fishbrain

What anglers catch here

Anglers have logged 33 catches on Sea Lion Lake via Fishbrain — 2 in the last 30 days, most recently on Jul 24, 2026.

Most-reported species

  • Bluegill21 reports · peaks June
  • Largemouth bass6 reports

6 of the 33 logged catches didn’t name a species and aren’t listed above.

Counts reflect reporting activity, not fish populations. Waterbody location is provider-level; exact spots and angler details aren’t shown.

Fishery details for this lakeExplore this area on Fishbrain

Wisconsin DNR · 2026–2027 season

Lake-specific fishing regulations

Rule text published by the DNR for this waterbody, cached by WBIC and verified 2026-07-12.

Verify with DNR
All species

Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with 1 hook, bait, or lure per angler, and 3 hooks, baits, or lures maximum per boat.

Catfish

Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10.

Cisco and whitefish

Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10.

Lake sturgeon

Season Dates: Closed. No fishing allowed.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass

Season Dates: June 20, 2026 to March 7, 2027. The minimum length limit is 14" and the daily bag limit is 5.

Muskellunge and hybrids

Season Dates: May 2, 2026 to December 31, 2026 on open water. The minimum length limit is 40" and the daily bag limit is 1.

Northern pike

Season Dates: May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 5.

Paddlefish

Season Dates: Closed. No fishing allowed.

Panfish

Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10, but only 5 can be bluegill.

Rock, yellow, and white bass

Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited.

Rough fish

Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited.

Shovelnose sturgeon

Season Dates: Closed. No fishing allowed.

Trout and salmon

See Trout regulations layer.

Urban waters gamefish

This waterbody is not considered an urban water, Urban Waters Gamefish regulations do not apply.

Walleye, sauger, and hybrids

Season Dates: May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027. The minimum length limit is 18" and the daily bag limit is 3.

Regulations can change. The official DNR page controls; verify seasons, boundaries, bag limits, and emergency rules before fishing.

NWS weather

Weather windows

Weather-based planning from the National Weather Service hourly forecast near this lake — not a catch forecast.

Loading
Loading latest forecast…

Checking wind, precipitation, and near-term weather windows.

Water temperature

Sea Lion Lake water temperature today

Modeled surface-temperature estimate built from seasonal climate, lake depth, and live National Weather Service air temperatures near this lake.

68°FWarm

Seasonal estimate. Checking current National Weather Service air temperatures…

Comfortable summer pattern. Bass and panfish are active; early and late hours beat the midday heat.

Warmest monthAugust · ~72°F
Freezing surfaceDecember – March
Model depth input82 ft max depth
Monthly Sea Lion Lake water temperatures and freeze-up FAQ →

Estimates are modeled, not measured. Actual temperatures vary with depth, wind mixing, and recent weather — verify conditions before swimming, boating, or heading onto ice.

DNR water check

Water quality quick take

From Wisconsin DNR / Citizen Lake Monitoring readings at Sea Lion Lake - Deep Spot.

Last sampled May 2026Volunteer monitoring since 2020

Through 2023, very clear, low-algae water — summer clarity of 22.3 ft puts it among the clearest tenth of monitored Wisconsin lakes.

Based on July–August volunteer averages from 2022–2023; each value shows its own year.
0 ft1530Disk vanishes22.3 ft downJul–Aug 2022 averageLake continues to 82 ft max depth
31Oligotrophic5-yr summer TSI
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHyper.

Very clear, low-nutrient water — often deep, with limited plant growth.

Water claritySecchi disk depth
22.3 ftJul–Aug 2022 avg (3 readings)
Crystal clear
Stable since 2004

Clearer than 97% of 593 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.

AlgaeChlorophyll-a
1 µg/LJul–Aug 2023 avg (2 readings)
Very low
2004–2023
NutrientsTotal phosphorus — fuels plant & algae growth
10 µg/LLatest single sample · 2021-06-16
Very low

Very low phosphorus means very light plant/algae growth pressure.

All readings by year · station details · methodology

Summer averages (July/August)

July/August means; counts in parentheses show how many samples went into each average.

YearSecchiChlorophyll-aTotal phosphorus
2026———
2025———
202417.0 ft (1)——
202321.0 ft (1)1.0 µg/L (2)—
202222.3 ft (3)1.0 µg/L (2)—
202120.0 ft (2)0.5 µg/L (2)—
2018——14.0 µg/L (1)
2017———
200715.0 ft (1)——
200418.0 ft (1)1.0 µg/L (1)10.0 µg/L (1)

Latest individual samples: Secchi 27 ft (2026-05-29), chlorophyll-a 1 µg/L (2023-08-19), and total phosphorus 10 µg/L (2021-06-16).

Secchi clarity is how deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface — more feet means clearer water.

Chlorophyll-a is an algae pigment; higher values signal more algae in the water column.

Total phosphorus is a nutrient that feeds algae and aquatic plants. It is not a weed survey — depth, bottom type, water movement, and management change the actual lake experience.

Sea Lion Lake - Deep SpotStation 193039 · TSI based on chlorophyll
Station reports DNR lake record
Modeled from DNR/CLMN monitoring — not a safety or swim-condition report. Verify current conditions locally. LakeList verified 2026-07-12.

Official Wisconsin information

Plan with DNR sources

LakeList links to the authoritative record so you can verify maps, rules, and current notices before leaving.

Historical DNR depth maps1 converted map sheetView DNR depth mapHistorical map · not for navigationFishing regulationsVerify current seasons, limits, and restrictionsOfficial DNR lake pageFacts, advisories, boating, and water qualityWater quality reportsMonitoring stations, clarity, and DNR reportsInvasive speciesVerified, observed, and historical AIS recordsBoating ordinancesLocal slow-no-wake and water-use restrictionsFish consumption advisoriesStatewide and waterbody-specific health guidance

Historical depth maps are not for navigation. Verify regulations and access at the official source before your trip.

Historical Wisconsin DNR maps

Sea Lion Lake depth maps

1 converted map sheet. These historical surveys are not for navigation.

Original DNR document

Navigable depth map

Sea Lion Lake · sheet 1

Pan, zoom, and inspect the converted Wisconsin DNR historical map image in the browser. Historical survey — not for navigation.

Full-size image
100% Drag to pan · wheel to zoom
Sea Lion Lake historical Wisconsin DNR depth map sheet 1

Source: Wisconsin DNR · WBIC 672300 · image navigation only; spatial alignment pending · Historical lake maps are not for navigation.

Loading map after the main lake details
Sea Lion Lake · page 1Florence County · WBIC 672300 · 256 KB preview
Map image · not spatially aligned
Full-size map DNR source

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Converted for browser access with source URLs, checksums, and retrieval dates retained. Historical lake maps are not for navigation.

114surface acres
82max depth feet
1public access points
45.8770, -88.3218latitude, longitude

Access

Public access points

Boat launchSea Lion Lake Access45.87836, -88.32269Managed by COUNTYTOWN OF FERNRamp surface: GravelADA-accessible feature: NoVerified 2026-07-12
DNR verifiedDirectionsOfficial details

Nearby

Trip-planning places

No nearby trip-planning places yet

Depth FAQ

How deep is Sea Lion Lake?

Sea Lion Lake is 82 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 16 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.

Is there a free depth map of Sea Lion Lake?

Yes. LakeList publishes a free interactive depth contour map of Sea Lion Lake at a typical 10-foot interval, with an optional 3D underwater view, derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived) survey data.

Where does the Sea Lion Lake depth map come from?

The interactive depth contours are derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived). Each contour set passes a visual QA review against the source document before it is published. The depths are derived from community sonar recordings (C-MAP Genesis Social Map, used with permission), with gaps between recordings interpolated; not for navigation.

View the full Sea Lion Lake depth map →

Trust and freshness

Where this lake data comes from

Wisconsin DNR Lake Mapsname, coordinates, county, source identifiers
LakeList record updated 2026-07-14

Keep exploring

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