Spirit Lake vs Wood Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Wood Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Spirit Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Spirit Lake and Wood 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 — Spirit Lake (D) versus Wood 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.
Spirit Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft.
Wood Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Spirit Lake | Wood Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.5 ft | 5.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 22.6 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 592 acres | 521 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Wood Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Spirit Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 5.5 ft vs 5.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Wood Lake also leads with 0 species.