Lost Lake vs Plum Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Plum Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lost Lake. Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Lost Lake and Plum 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 sit close on the readings, Lost Lake versus Plum Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Lost Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Plum Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lost Lake | Plum Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.5 ft | 14.2 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 34.5 µg/L | 13 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft | 57 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 539 acres | 1,057 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 6 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
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.
Swap a lake
Compare Lost Lake or Plum Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Plum Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lost Lake. Water clarity: 14.2 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Plum Lake also leads with 6 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.