Lac Courte Oreilles Lake vs Whitefish Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lac Courte Oreilles Lake and Whitefish Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
A
Lac Courte Oreilles Lake
Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Crystal clear, you can see 38.7 ft down.
A
Whitefish Lake
Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Crystal clear, you can see 43.3 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lac Courte Oreilles Lake | Whitefish Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 38.7 ft | 43.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L | 13.6 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.4 µg/L | 1.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 90 ft | 105 ft |
| Surface Area | 5.1K acres | 800 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 7 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lac Courte Oreilles Lake: 38.7 ft, Whitefish Lake: 43.3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lac Courte Oreilles Lake has fewer fish species than Whitefish Lake.