Baker Lake vs Myrtle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Myrtle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Baker Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Baker Lake and Myrtle 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. Myrtle Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Baker Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Myrtle 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.
Myrtle Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Baker Lake | Myrtle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4.5 ft | 10.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27.2 µg/L | 17.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 200 acres | 200 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Myrtle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Baker Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 10.2 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Myrtle Lake also leads with 0 species.