Stone Lake, Wisconsin, USA

Stone lake is a beautiful 525-acre, glacier formed lake located near the town of Hayward in Washburn County, Wisconsin. The quiet community of Stone Lake sits on the eastern shore of the lake and is best known for its Cranberry Festival held the first full weekend of October. Over 30,000 people travel to the rural town during the celebration to enjoy the cranberries, the lake, and the…
Keep scrolling to read more.

Welcome to the ultimate guide to Stone Lake! Article topics include:

Looking for Stone Lake cabins or other accommodations? Save time and use this interactive map to find, compare and book at the best rates. Or explore more of our favorite travel partners.


All About Stone Lake, WI

Stone lake is a beautiful 525-acre, glacier formed lake located near the town of Hayward in Washburn County, Wisconsin. The quiet community of Stone Lake sits on the eastern shore of the lake and is best known for its Cranberry Festival held the first full weekend of October. Over 30,000 people travel to the rural town during the celebration to enjoy the cranberries, the lake, and the arrival of autumn.

Stone Lake is a moderately developed lake with beautiful homes along its 40 miles of pristine shoreline. Bed and breakfasts and other vacation rentals are available for those wishing to spend some time on the lake. Two public boat launches allow visitors access to the crystal clear water. With a maximum depth of 47 feet, Stone Lake is an excellent fishing lake and recreational lake for sailing, boating, swimming, and water skiing. Anglers can expect to catch northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, and bluegill. Stone Lake is connected to Little Stone Lake by a shallow, non-navigable channel at its northern end which adds an additional 25 acres of water for fishing, swimming and boating. Other recreational lakes in the area include Spring Lake, Sand Lake, Big Sissabagama Lake, Little Sissabagama Lake, 5,039-acre Lac Courte Oreilles, and 3,290-acre Long Lake. All of the lakes offer boating, fishing, swimming and a wide variety of water related activities.

Vacation rentals on Stone Lake and surrounding lakes are abundant and range from small cottages to luxurious resorts. Private, furnished vacation homes for rent also offer all the finest amenities. For those who would like to own a piece of the area, real estate for sale is plentiful. Campers and RV owners will find several private campgrounds around Stone Lake as well as in the city of Hayward. The Stone Lake area and the city of Hayward draw many cabin and cottage owners and visitors from the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Chicago metropolitan areas.

Stone Lake is located approximately 15 miles south of the city of Hayward. Originally a small lumbering town in the heart of the Wisconsin Northwoods, Hayward has evolved into a premiere vacation destination. Golf courses, horseback riding, hiking and biking trails, a city beach, and numerous lakes in the area offer unlimited outdoor entertainment. Hayward hosts several world-class festivals including the World Lumberjack Championships and the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, a mountain biking race. Hayward is also home to the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum building was built in the shape of a 143 foot long and 41 foot tall muskie.

Northeast of Stone Lake, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest offers a variety of fishing, canoeing, fall color tours, cross country skiing and sightseeing trips. The Chequamegon side of the forest covers over 800,000 acres and has miles of trails for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. There is also good hunting for white tailed deer, black bear, ruffled grouse and water fowl.

On a smaller scale, the Stone Lake Community Wetland Park covers 17.5 acres in the center of town. The Wetland Park features woodland walking trails, a memorial walk paved with engraved bricks in memory of loved ones, benches for rest along the trails, two large picnic areas, and a gazebo with a scenic overlook of the lake. For those who enjoy hometown festivals, Stone Lake’s annual Cranberry Festival draws over 30,000 people to the normally quiet little town. Festival events include a parade, a crate derby, and tours of the cranberry marshes. Hundreds of artisans, crafters and food vendors are also a highlight of the festival.

Although many of the campgrounds around Stone Lake close for the winter months, the area does not go into hibernation. Snow brings a silent beauty to the lakes and forests in the area and also delights ice fishers, cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, and snowshoers. Dogsleds are becoming a common sight in the Hayward area.

Whether you choose to relax on the dock of your Stone Lake vacation rental or take a boat out on the crystal clear water in search of that monster fish, this pristine lake can offer you the outdoor vacation you have been looking for. Golf some of the most scenic golf courses in Wisconsin, mountain bike for miles, or ski some of the state’s finest cross country ski trails. Each season offers a unique opportunity to experience the splendor of north central Wisconsin.

Things to Do at Stone Lake

These are some activities in the Stone Lake, WI area visitors can enjoy:

  • Vacation Rentals
  • Fishing
  • Boating
  • Sailing
  • Swimming
  • Beach
  • Canoeing
  • Water Skiing
  • Golf
  • Camping
  • Campground
  • Picnicking
  • Cabin Rentals
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Horseback Riding
  • Hunting
  • Wildlife Viewing
  • National Forest
  • Museum

What Kind of Fish Are in Stone Lake?

Stone Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

  • Bass
  • Black Bass
  • Bluegill
  • Crappie
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Muskellunge
  • Northern Pike
  • Perch
  • Pike
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Sunfish
  • Walleye
divider

Find Places to Stay at Stone Lake

If you’re considering a Stone Lake lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

Note: These are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase. Read our full disclosure policy here.

More Sites to Book a Stone Lake Vacation

Our interactive Stone Lake lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

Check TripAdvisor
Check Expedia
Find a Campspot
All Travel Resources

Stone Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

divider

Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Not Dammed

Surface Area: 525 acres

Shoreline Length: 40 miles

Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 1,234 feet

Maximum Depth: 47 feet

Water Volume: 17,125 acre-feet

Trophic State: Mesotrophic

We strive to keep information on LakeLubbers as accurate as possible. If you’ve found something here that needs updating, please touch base by filling out our Content Correction form.

Shop Stone Lake Gifts

Custom Lake Tumblers

Create Your Own Captain / First Mate Custom 20oz Tumbler

ORDER HERE
Custom Lake T Shirt

Create Your Personalized My Boat My Rules Unisex T-Shirt

ORDER HERE
Custom Lake Coffee Mug - On Lake Time

Create a Custom Coffee Mug – 11oz or 15oz

ORDER HERE
VIEW ALL CUSTOM LAKE PRODUCTS

More Stone Lake news from LakeLubbers.com

  • Advertise your vacation rental property or local business: DETAILS HERE
  • The Stone Lake forum has been discontinued: HERE’S WHY
  • New Stone Lake photos coming soon!
  • You’re invited to join our lake-lovin’ community on Facebook and Instagram!
  • Share this Stone Lake article with your fellow LakeLubbers: