Boulder Lake vs Little Arbor Vitae Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Boulder Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Little Arbor Vitae Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Boulder Lake and Little Arbor Vitae Lake 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Boulder Lake (B) versus Little Arbor Vitae 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.
Little Arbor Vitae Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Boulder Lake | Little Arbor Vitae Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21.6 µg/L | 31.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 516 acres | 480 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 4 |
| 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 Little Arbor Vitae Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.6 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Boulder Lake also leads with 6 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.