Sawyer County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 52 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Sawyer County has 52 graded lakes, enough that within-county variation matters as much as the county average. Some are deep glacial basins, others are shallow agricultural-watershed waters, and the grade distribution reflects that mix. The county-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Lac Courte Oreilles Lake (A); the most-stressed is Mb-2a Cul Lake (F).
Quick Answers for Sawyer County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lac Courte Oreilles Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
DNR Reports (20)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Sawyer County. Showing 12 most recent — browse all reports →
- 2025Big Sissabagama Lake management plan, 2025Management Plan · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Moose Lake spring survey, 2025Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Round Lake spring survey, 2025Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Sissabagama Lake spring survey, 2025Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Windfall Lake spring survey, 2025Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2024Barber Lake netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Barker Lake netting survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Chippewa Flowage netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Clear Lake netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Lac Courte Oreilles netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Mud/Callahan Lake netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2024Spider Lake netting and shocking survey, 2024Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
All Lakes in Sawyer County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Max Depth | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lac Courte Oreilles Lake | A | 38.7 ft | 90 ft | 16 µg/L |
| 2 | Grindstone Lake | A | 57.7 ft | 60 ft | 14.4 µg/L |
| 3 | Windigo Lake | A | 36.1 ft | 51 ft | 15.6 µg/L |
| 4 | Spider Lake | A | 32.8 ft | 64 ft | 14.1 µg/L |
| 5 | Round Lake | A | 68.2 ft | 74 ft | 14.4 µg/L |
| 6 | Christner Lake | A | 33.8 ft | - | 19.5 µg/L |
| 7 | Little Sissabagama Lake | A | 39.4 ft | 75 ft | 14.7 µg/L |
| 8 | Osprey Lake | A | 55 ft | - | 14 µg/L |
| 9 | Tiger Cat Flowage Lake | A | 35.3 ft | 30 ft | 13.5 µg/L |
| 10 | Clear Lake | A | 56.9 ft | 32 ft | 11.2 µg/L |
| 11 | Lost Lake | A | 33.1 ft | - | 18 µg/L |
| 12 | Lost Land Lake | A | 32 ft | 21 ft | 17.2 µg/L |
| 13 | Mud Lake | A | 32.8 ft | - | 19 µg/L |
| 14 | Connors Lake | A | 39.4 ft | - | 13.8 µg/L |
| 15 | Whitefish Lake | A | 43.3 ft | 105 ft | 13.6 µg/L |
| 16 | Little Lac Courte Lake | A | 39.7 ft | 46 ft | - |
| 17 | Blueberry Lake | A | 48.6 ft | 29 ft | 17 µg/L |
| 18 | Lake Placid | A | 49.2 ft | 30 ft | 12.2 µg/L |
| 19 | Ashegon Lake | A | 33 ft | 56 ft | 18 µg/L |
| 20 | Lake of the Pines | A | 23 ft | - | 16.8 µg/L |
| 21 | Little Round Lake | A | 57.7 ft | 38 ft | 12 µg/L |
| 22 | Black Dan Lake | A | 32 ft | - | - |
| 23 | Teal Lake | A | 21.3 ft | 31 ft | 16.5 µg/L |
| 24 | Smith Lake | A | 19.7 ft | 29 ft | - |
| 25 | Barber Lake | A | 33.9 ft | 21 ft | 14 µg/L |
| 26 | Sissabagama Lake | A | 26.9 ft | 48 ft | 18.7 µg/L |
| 27 | Burns Lake | A | 37.7 ft | - | 12.7 µg/L |
| 28 | Mcclaine Lake | A | 46.8 ft | - | 12.5 µg/L |
| 29 | Billy Boy Flowage Lake | A | - | 46 ft | 15 µg/L |
| 30 | Little Lac Courte Oreilles Lake | A | 38.6 ft | 46 ft | 21 µg/L |
| 31 | Sand Lake | A | 31.2 ft | 50 ft | 23.8 µg/L |
| 32 | Gurno Lake | A | 31.2 ft | 27 ft | 27 µg/L |
| 33 | Indian Lake | A | 20.3 ft | - | 23 µg/L |
| 34 | Durphee Lake | A | 26.2 ft | - | 22 µg/L |
| 35 | Nelson Lake | A | 15.2 ft | - | 23.9 µg/L |
| 36 | Lower Clam Lake | A | 18 ft | 30 ft | 29.5 µg/L |
| 37 | Callahan Lake | A | 34.8 ft | 18 ft | 22.3 µg/L |
| 38 | Spring Lake | B | 29.2 ft | 18 ft | 27.5 µg/L |
| 39 | Chippewa Flowage Lake | B | 23.6 ft | 92 ft | 29 µg/L |
| 40 | Pike Lake | B | 24.9 ft | 17 ft | 25 µg/L |
| 41 | Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake | B | 19 ft | 92 ft | 29 µg/L |
| 42 | Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake | B | 15.9 ft | 92 ft | 37 µg/L |
| 43 | Pacwawong Spring Pond | B | 13.6 ft | 14 ft | - |
| 44 | Indian School Lake | B | - | 6 ft | 24.1 µg/L |
| 45 | Green Lake | B | 12.1 ft | 9 ft | 36 µg/L |
| 46 | Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake | B | 14.3 ft | 92 ft | 49 µg/L |
| 47 | Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake | B | 13.6 ft | 92 ft | 40 µg/L |
| 48 | Moose Lake | B | 9 ft | 21 ft | 28.9 µg/L |
| 49 | Lake Chetac North Basin | C | - | 26 ft | 56.7 µg/L |
| 50 | Birch Lake | D | - | 73 ft | 60.3 µg/L |
| 51 | Lake Chetac | D | - | 26 ft | 68.8 µg/L |
| 52 | Mb-2a Cul Lake | F | - | - | 215 µg/L |
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.