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LakeQuality

Round Lake vs Whitefish Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Whitefish Lake (A, Excellent). Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.

Both Round Lake and Whitefish Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Round Lake (A) versus Whitefish Lake (A). 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.

A

Round Lake

Sawyer County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 21.1 ft down.

A

Whitefish Lake

Sawyer County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricRound LakeWhitefish Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity21.1 ft13.5 ft
Phosphorus14.4 µg/L13.6 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)1 µg/L1.8 µg/L
Maximum Depth74 ft105 ft
Surface Area3.3K acres800 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateoligotrophicoligotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Round Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Whitefish Lake's Grade A. Water clarity: 21.1 ft vs 13.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 0 species.