Black Lake

Chequamegon-Nicolet NF — lakeside, fishing

Location: Hayward, WI, WI

Price: From $15 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (38 reviews)

Season: May through October

Black Lake is highly ranked as a family-favorite campground. It is spread out along the eastern shores of its namesake, Black Lake. The calm waters beckon to adventurers, offering fishing, boating, swimming and other recreational activities in the northwestern Wisconsin wilderness.The lake offers plentiful fishing, with musky, walleye, bass and pan fish available in abundance.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/black-lake to be notified when sites open up.

Black Lake is a highly ranked family-favorite campground spread along the eastern shores of Black Lake in northwestern Wisconsin, offering plentiful fishing for musky, walleye, bass and pan fish, plus kayaking and canoeing on usually peaceful and calm waters.

Wildlife alert: Wapiti and North American Porcupine present in area; also watch for Broad-winged Hawk and Ring-necked Duck

Insider tips for Black Lake: Book early as this is a popular federal campground Firewood available for purchase on-site Suitable for self-contained RVs despite lack of hookups

Skip Black Lake if: You need RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites. You plan to visit outside May-October season. You prefer developed facilities beyond vault toilets.

Best time to visit Black Lake: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Moose Lake (Hayward, WI), Stockfarm Bridge (HAYWARD, WI), Day Lake (Hayward, WI), East Twin (Hayward, WI).

Cell Phone Coverage at Black Lake

Cell signal at Black Lake (Hayward, WI): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Chequamegon-Nicolet NF — lakeside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Black Lake

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Hayward, WI, WI★ 4.3 (38 reviews)From $15/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Black Lake is highly ranked as a family-favorite campground. It is spread out along the eastern shores of its namesake, Black Lake. The calm waters beckon to adventurers, offering fishing, boating, swimming and other recreational activities in the northwestern Wisconsin wilderness.The lake offers plentiful fishing, with musky, walleye, bass and pan fish available in abundance.

Best for:AnglersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFirewood for Sale

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites✕ You plan to visit outside May-October season✕ You prefer developed facilities beyond vault toilets

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Firewood available for purchase on-site

Suitable for self-contained RVs despite lack of hookups

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Wapiti and North American Porcupine present in area; also watch for Broad-winged Hawk and Ring-necked Duck

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(715) 634-4821 OR (715) 264-2511· Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
Getting there →

From Hayward, Wisconsin, take Highway B east for about 23 miles. Turn left on Barker Lake Road, which turns into Forest Service Road 172, and continue for a total of 8 miles. Turn left onto Forest Service Road 173 and drive less than a mile to the paved campground road.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Chequamegon-Nicolet NF fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Chequamegon-Nicolet NF before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Black Lake cost per night?+
Black Lake costs $15 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Black Lake open?+
Black Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Black Lake have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Black Lake?+
Black Lake can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Black Lake?+
Black Lake is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Black Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Black Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Black Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Black Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$15 /night★ 4.3 (38)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Black Lake cost per night?+
What season is Black Lake open?+
Does Black Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Moose Lake

Hayward, WI

From $15/night

Stockfarm Bridge

HAYWARD, WI

From $15/night

Day Lake

Hayward, WI

From $18/night

East Twin

Hayward, WI

From $15/night

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