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Bughs Lake
Enhanced dataHistorical depth chart
Bughs LakeWaushara County, WI
Historical source depth chart available1 converted source DNR map sheet can be panned and zoomed in the browser. Interactive contours stay hidden until visual QA passes. Historical survey — not for navigation.
View browser depth chartLakeList assistant
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Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Bughs Lake.
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Fishing forecast
Best windows for Bughs Lake
Weather-based planning built from the National Weather Service hourly forecast near this lake.
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Checking wind, precipitation, and near-term weather windows.
Water temperature
Bughs Lake water temperature today
Modeled surface-temperature estimate built from seasonal climate, lake depth, and live National Weather Service air temperatures near this lake.
75°FPeak summer
Seasonal estimate. Checking current National Weather Service air temperatures…
Warmest water of the year. Fish hold deeper or feed in low light; swimming and watersports are at their best.
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 Bughs Lake - Deepest Spot.
Last sampled Nov 2024
Through 2024, clear water — summer clarity of 12 ft puts it among the clearest quarter of monitored Wisconsin lakes.
Based on July–August 2024 averages across 7 volunteer readings.44Mesotrophic5-yr summer TSI
Moderately clear with moderate nutrients — a typical profile for good swimming lakes.
Water claritySecchi disk depth
12 ftJul–Aug 2024 avg (7 readings)
ClearStable since 2017
Clearer than 87% of 597 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.
No recent algae readings — last measured 2018. No recent nutrient readings — last measured 2012.
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.
| Year | Secchi | Chlorophyll-a | Total phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12.0 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2023 | 12.7 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2022 | 8.3 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2021 | 10.4 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2020 | 12.9 ft (8) | — | — |
| 2019 | 11.0 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2018 | 9.8 ft (9) | 1.0 µg/L (1) | — |
| 2017 | 9.6 ft (7) | — | — |
| 2016 | 8.3 ft (8) | — | — |
| 2012 | 12.5 ft (2) | — | 19.0 µg/L (3) |
Latest individual samples: Secchi 16 ft (2024-11-27), chlorophyll-a 13 µg/L (2018-10-23), and total phosphorus 14 µg/L (2012-08-28).
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.
Bughs Lake - Deepest SpotStation 703116 · TSI based on Secchi
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 sheetFishing 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
Bughs Lake depth maps
1 converted map sheet. These historical surveys are not for navigation.
Navigable depth map
Bughs Lake · sheet 1
Pan, zoom, and inspect the converted Wisconsin DNR historical map image in the browser. Historical survey — not for navigation.
Source: Wisconsin DNR · WBIC 102100 · image navigation only; spatial alignment pending · Historical lake maps are not for navigation.
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.
Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey
Fish population survey
Structured LakeList extraction from the 2023 DNR fisheries survey. Population estimates, density, and catch-rate indices use different units, methods, and scopes, so each value is presented in its original form rather than normalized against a different measure.
Survey indicatorsValues keep their source unit and method; unlike measures are not scaled or compared.
Management contextThe report is specific to Bughs Lake and describes a May 10, 2023 SEII electrofishing survey over 0.7 shoreline miles. All metrics are survey-sample statistics; species not targeted by this protocol are retained as bycatch metrics where reported.
The survey found high bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass and northern pike catch rates. Bluegill were abundant but small and slow-growing; largemouth bass abundance was high with moderate size structure.
- The report's page-one table lists three yellow perch, while the later yellow-perch size panel lists four; LakeList preserves the page-one species-summary value and documents this internal discrepancy.
- The survey was not designed to assess northern pike or walleye population abundance comprehensively.
Black crappie
2 fishBlack crappie captured · p. 39.4 inchesAverage length · p. 37.9 inchesMinimum length · p. 310.9 inchesMaximum length · p. 3
Bluegill
313 fishBluegill captured · p. 14.2 inchesAverage length · p. 12.7 inchesMinimum length · p. 16.9 inchesMaximum length · p. 1
Largemouth bass
50 fishLargemouth bass captured · p. 112.5 inchesAverage length · p. 16.6 inchesMinimum length · p. 116.8 inchesMaximum length · p. 1
Northern pike
10 fishNorthern pike captured · p. 121.6 inchesAverage length · p. 118.7 inchesMinimum length · p. 124.6 inchesMaximum length · p. 1
Pumpkinseed
45 fishPumpkinseed captured · p. 16 inchesAverage length · p. 14.6 inchesMinimum length · p. 17.5 inchesMaximum length · p. 1
Walleye
3 fishWalleye captured · p. 316.5 inchesAverage length · p. 311 inchesMinimum length · p. 319.6 inchesMaximum length · p. 3
Yellow perch
3 fishYellow perch captured · p. 14 inchesAverage length · p. 13.5 inchesMinimum length · p. 15.1 inchesMaximum length · p. 1
Bughs Lake spring shocking survey, 2023Matched by exact lakelist id name county state wbic · WBICs 102100 · verified 2026-07-19Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey report; LakeList operator documented permission to leverage this report with source attribution.
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.
All species
Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler.
Catfish
Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25.
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: May 2, 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. The minimum length limit is 26" and the daily bag limit is 2.
Paddlefish
Season Dates: Closed. No fishing allowed.
Panfish
Season Dates: Open All Year. No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25.
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 15" 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.
23surface acres
18max depth feet
1public access points
44.0692, -89.2623latitude, longitude
Access
Public access points
Boat launchBughs Lake Boat Launch44.06951, -89.26454Managed by TOWNSHIPTOWN OF WAUTOMARamp surface: GravelADA-accessible feature: NoVerified 2026-07-12
Nearby
Trip-planning places
No nearby trip-planning places yet
Fishery
Notable species
Largemouth BassPanfishCatfishNorthern Pike
Depth FAQ
How deep is Bughs Lake?
Bughs Lake is 18 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 9 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.
Is there a free depth map of Bughs Lake?
Yes. 1 scanned Wisconsin DNR lake survey map sheet is free to view and zoom on LakeList. These historical surveys are not for navigation.
Where does the Bughs Lake depth map come from?
The map sheets are converted from official Wisconsin DNR lake survey documents, with the source URL, checksum, and retrieval date retained for every sheet. Historical surveys are not for navigation.
Trust and freshness
Where this lake data comes from
Wisconsin DNR Lake Pagesname, coordinates, county, source identifiers
LakeList record updated 2026-05-25
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