Lake Chetac vs Sissabagama Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sissabagama Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lake Chetac. Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Lake Chetac and Sissabagama 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. The readings are meaningfully apart: Sissabagama Lake carries clearly lower phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings than Lake Chetac. A spread that wide reflects real underlying differences, in watershed inputs, depth profiles, or monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: Sissabagama Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Lake Chetac
No clarity data.
Sissabagama Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Chetac | Sissabagama Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | No data | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 56.3 µg/L | 18.7 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft | 48 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 2,400 acres | 805 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 6 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
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
Sissabagama Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lake Chetac. For fishing diversity, Sissabagama Lake also leads with 6 species.
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Where to stay near Lake Chetac and Sissabagama Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.