Boulder Lake vs Presque Isle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Presque Isle Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Boulder Lake. Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Boulder Lake and Presque Isle 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Boulder Lake versus Presque Isle Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Presque Isle Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Boulder Lake | Presque Isle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 18 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 21.6 µg/L | 10.3 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft | 103 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 516 acres | 1,165 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Boulder Lake and Presque Isle Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Boulder Lake: 5.6 ft, Presque Isle Lake: 18 ft) and what you want from the lake. Boulder Lake matches its peer on species count.
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Where to stay near Boulder Lake and Presque Isle Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Boulder Lake and Presque Isle Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Boulder Lake and Presque Isle Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.