Lost Lake vs Plum Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Plum Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lost Lake (C, Fair). 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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Lost Lake (C) versus Plum Lake (B). 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4.5 ft | 14.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 34.5 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft | 57 ft |
| Surface Area | 539 acres | 1,057 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 6 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Plum Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lost Lake's Grade C. 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.