Three Lakes is located in Oneida County between Crandon and Land O'Lakes along Hwy 32 near Eagle River, Rhinelander, Northern Highland State Forest, and Nicolet National Forest.
Three Lakes was formed as railroad companies and logging firms pushed north toward Canada in search of timber. Surveyors were challenged to run a straight line north through forests and a chain of 27 lakes. They came across a lake surrounded by virgin maple, and named it Maple Lake. The next lake encountered just to the north, was crossed by the surveyed town line and was dubbed Town Line Lake. Since the range line ran along the west side of another adjacent lake, they named it Range Line Lake.
