Big Arbor Vitae Lake vs White Sand Lake Deep
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
White Sand Lake Deep has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Arbor Vitae Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Big Arbor Vitae Lake and White Sand Lake Deep are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: White Sand Lake Deep grades a A while Big Arbor Vitae 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 — White Sand Lake Deep 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?
Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
White Sand Lake Deep
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Arbor Vitae Lake | White Sand Lake Deep |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24.1 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 41 ft | 63 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.1K acres | 1.2K 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
White Sand Lake Deep wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Arbor Vitae Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, White Sand Lake Deep also leads with 0 species.