Sand Lake vs Sissabagama Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Sissabagama Lake. Both are in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Sand Lake 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. These two sit close on the readings, Sand Lake versus Sissabagama 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.
Sand Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Sissabagama Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Sand Lake | Sissabagama Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10 ft Better | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23.8 µg/L | 18.7 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.1 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft Better | 48 ft |
| Surface Area | 949 acres | 805 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Sand Lake or Sissabagama Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Sissabagama Lake. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 8 ft. For fishing diversity, Sand Lake also leads with 6 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.