Little St Germain Lake vs Lost Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lost Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Little St Germain Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Little St Germain Lake and Lost 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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Little St Germain Lake (D) versus Lost Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Little St Germain Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Lost Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Little St Germain Lake | Lost Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 3.5 ft | 4.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 45.1 µg/L | 34.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 53 ft | 20 ft |
| Surface Area | 972 acres | 539 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 5 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lost Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Little St Germain Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 4.5 ft vs 3.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Little St Germain Lake edges ahead with 6 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.