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LakeQuality

Eagle 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 Eagle Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Eagle 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 Eagle Lake grades a D. 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?

D

Eagle Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.

A

White Sand Lake Deep

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricEagle LakeWhite Sand Lake Deep
Overall GradeD (Poor)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity5 ft18 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth34 ft63 ft
Surface Area575 acres1.2K acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophicoligotrophic

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 Eagle Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, White Sand Lake Deep also leads with 0 species.