Baker Lake vs Fishtrap Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Fishtrap Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Baker Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Baker Lake and Fishtrap Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Fishtrap Lake grades a A while Baker Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Fishtrap Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Baker Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Fishtrap Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Baker Lake | Fishtrap Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4.5 ft | 12.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27.2 µg/L | 10.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 200 acres | 339 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Fishtrap Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Baker Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 12.2 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Fishtrap Lake also leads with 0 species.