Boulder Lake vs White Sand Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
White Sand Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Boulder Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Boulder Lake and White Sand 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. White Sand Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Boulder 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 — White Sand 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?
Boulder Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
White Sand Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Boulder Lake | White Sand Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 20 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21.6 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft | 71 ft |
| Surface Area | 516 acres | 746 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 wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Boulder Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 20 ft vs 5.6 ft. For fishing diversity, White Sand Lake also leads with 0 species.