Boulder Lake vs Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Boulder Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lac Vieux Desert Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Boulder Lake and Lac Vieux Desert 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Boulder Lake (B) versus Lac Vieux Desert Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Boulder Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Boulder Lake | Lac Vieux Desert Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 5.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21.6 µg/L | 28.2 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft | 38 ft |
| Surface Area | 516 acres | 4,017 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Boulder Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lac Vieux Desert Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.6 ft vs 5.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Boulder Lake also leads with 6 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.