Vilas County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 202 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)

Vilas County in Wisconsin carries 202 graded lakes — one of the lake-richer counties in our dataset. Coverage that dense usually reflects active lake-association sampling alongside state-agency monitoring. On average, Vilas County lakes grade an A. That puts it near the top of the Wisconsin county ranking.

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 Sunset Lake (A); the most-stressed is Little St. Germain Lake-West Bay-at St. Germain (F).

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Quick Answers for Vilas County

Cleanest lakes in Vilas County →Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin →Safest swimming lakes in Wisconsin →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Sunset 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 Vilas County. Showing 12 most recent — browse all reports →

2025
Catfish Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Cranberry Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Dead Pike Lake comprehensive survey, 2025
Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Duck Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Eagle Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Johnson Lake spring bass panfish survey, 2025
Panfish Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Little Saint Germain spring walleye/musky netting survey, 2025
Netting Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Lynx Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Muskellunge Lake spring bass panfish survey, 2025
Musky Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Otter Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Razorback Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
2025
Scattering Rice Lake spring summary report, 2025
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)

All Lakes in Vilas County

Rank	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Max Depth	Phosphorus
1	Sunset Lake	A	56.5 ft	30 ft	11 µg/L
2	Middle Sugarbush Lake	A	50 ft	57 ft	13 µg/L
3	Irving Lake	A	36.1 ft	-	18.6 µg/L
4	Towanda Lake	A	34.5 ft	27 ft	12.6 µg/L
5	West Bay Lake	A	27.9 ft	57 ft	-
6	West Bay Lake	A	19.7 ft	23 ft	-
7	West Bay Lake	A	42.7 ft	31 ft	16.4 µg/L
8	Spring Lake	A	27.9 ft	16 ft	16.3 µg/L
9	Spider Lake	A	36.9 ft	43 ft	14.1 µg/L
10	Silver Lake	A	39.9 ft	-	17.8 µg/L
11	Dead Pike Lake	A	24.6 ft	80 ft	14.2 µg/L
12	Ballard Lake	A	49.2 ft	25 ft	15.5 µg/L
13	Birch Lake	A	21.3 ft	45 ft	16.6 µg/L
14	Bass Lake	A	41 ft	-	18.5 µg/L
15	Big Portage Lake	A	62.3 ft	40 ft	11.7 µg/L
16	Big Lake	A	39.4 ft	-	12.8 µg/L
17	Big Lake	A	-	30 ft	17.4 µg/L
18	Murphy Lake	A	24 ft	52 ft	-
19	Anderson Lake	A	68.9 ft	63 ft	10.4 µg/L
20	Little Crawling Stone Lake	A	49.2 ft	44 ft	9.9 µg/L
21	White Birch Lake	A	52.5 ft	27 ft	-
22	Island Lake	A	30.8 ft	35 ft	-
23	Spirit Lake	A	39.4 ft	20 ft	-
24	Katinka Lake	A	60.2 ft	60 ft	-
25	Loon Lake	A	47.6 ft	-	12 µg/L
26	Little Crooked Lake	A	27.9 ft	30 ft	16.8 µg/L
27	Bills Lake	A	29.5 ft	25 ft	-
28	Van Vliet Lake	A	31.2 ft	20 ft	-
29	Rosalind Lake	A	63.2 ft	-	9.9 µg/L
30	Plummer Lake	A	59.1 ft	85 ft	11.5 µg/L
31	North Turtle Lake	A	27.1 ft	58 ft	15.2 µg/L
32	Meta Lake	A	34.5 ft	25 ft	15.1 µg/L
33	Snipe Lake	A	36.1 ft	-	14.7 µg/L
34	Stone Lake	A	34.5 ft	43 ft	-
35	Deer Lake	A	39.4 ft	24 ft	-
36	Gunlock Lake	A	29.5 ft	-	18.9 µg/L
37	Horsehead Lake	A	32.8 ft	-	14.6 µg/L
38	North Twin Lake	A	45.9 ft	60 ft	-
39	Fawn Lake	A	29.5 ft	-	-
40	Carpenter Lake	A	28.2 ft	16 ft	17 µg/L
41	Finger Lake	A	36.1 ft	30 ft	10.4 µg/L
42	Rainbow Lake	A	19.7 ft	36 ft	11.4 µg/L
43	Wildcat Lake	A	24.2 ft	38 ft	17 µg/L
44	Rush Lake	A	16.4 ft	-	19.8 µg/L
45	Sugarbush Lake	A	51.7 ft	29 ft	11 µg/L
46	Annabelle Lake	A	23.8 ft	30 ft	15.4 µg/L
47	Pokegama Lake	A	54.1 ft	65 ft	10 µg/L
48	Circle Lily Lake	A	18.9 ft	35 ft	14.6 µg/L
49	Alma Lake	A	39.4 ft	-	15 µg/L
50	Oxbow Lake	A	26.2 ft	44 ft	15.2 µg/L
51	Whitefish Lake	A	45.1 ft	40 ft	-
52	Little Tamarack Flowage Lake	A	26.2 ft	16 ft	15 µg/L
53	Anvil Lake	A	36.1 ft	32 ft	11.8 µg/L
54	Blueberry Lake	A	-	-	13.6 µg/L
55	Presque Isle Lake	A	60.7 ft	103 ft	10.3 µg/L
56	Eagle Lake	A	16.4 ft	34 ft	-
57	Spectacle Lake	A	36.1 ft	-	-
58	Yellow Birch Lake	A	16.4 ft	23 ft	-
59	High Lake	A	32.8 ft	36 ft	14.2 µg/L
60	Razorback Lake	A	46.4 ft	35 ft	-
61	Moon Lake	A	42.7 ft	38 ft	14.2 µg/L
62	Statehouse Lake	A	30.3 ft	18 ft	-
63	Little Spider Lake	A	52.5 ft	-	11.5 µg/L
64	Papoose Lake	A	49.2 ft	65 ft	10.4 µg/L
65	Moss Lake	A	32 ft	29 ft	-
66	Myrtle Lake	A	33.6 ft	29 ft	17.2 µg/L
67	Pioneer Lake	A	31.2 ft	-	15.2 µg/L
68	Crab Lake	A	32.8 ft	-	12.6 µg/L
69	Black Oak Lake	A	88.6 ft	85 ft	10.2 µg/L
70	South Turtle Lake	A	26.2 ft	40 ft	17.4 µg/L
71	Escanaba Lake	A	28.2 ft	26 ft	19 µg/L
72	Aldridge Lake	A	15.6 ft	12 ft	-
73	Harris Lake	A	48.4 ft	57 ft	12.3 µg/L
74	Little Bass Lake	A	32.8 ft	35 ft	-
75	Little Bass Lake	A	28.8 ft	46 ft	-
76	Lynx Lake	A	39.4 ft	-	9.5 µg/L
77	Flambeau Lake	A	62.3 ft	78 ft	9 µg/L
78	Manitowish Lake	A	41.8 ft	61 ft	-
79	Imogene Lake	A	32.8 ft	41 ft	14.8 µg/L
80	Fishtrap Lake	A	39.4 ft	34 ft	10.7 µg/L
81	Fence Lake	A	49.2 ft	86 ft	-
82	Anne Lake	A	41 ft	77 ft	-
83	Long Interlaken Lake	A	59.1 ft	65 ft	-
84	Lower Sugarbush Lake	A	45.9 ft	-	10.3 µg/L
85	Bobidosh Lake	A	45.9 ft	33 ft	11.7 µg/L
86	Mccullough Lake	A	26.2 ft	27 ft	16.6 µg/L
87	Crawling Stone Lake	A	52.5 ft	87 ft	10.2 µg/L
88	Adams Lake	A	328.1 ft	-	-
89	White Sand Lake	A	65.6 ft	71 ft	-
90	White Sand Lake	A	52.5 ft	63 ft	12.1 µg/L
91	Upper Gresham Lake	A	36.9 ft	32 ft	13.4 µg/L
92	Irving Lake	A	15.7 ft	8 ft	-
93	Plummer Lake	A	59.9 ft	85 ft	-
94	Stearns Lake	A	32.8 ft	-	13.3 µg/L
95	Plum Lake	A	47.6 ft	57 ft	12.7 µg/L
96	Forest Lake	A	72.2 ft	60 ft	12.7 µg/L
97	Dunn Lake	A	21.3 ft	-	-
98	Laura Lake	A	43.3 ft	43 ft	-
99	Roach Lake	A	75.5 ft	48 ft	-
100	Alder Lake	A	33.6 ft	30 ft	-
101	White Sand Lake Deep	A	59.1 ft	63 ft	-
102	Carlin Lake	A	68.9 ft	36 ft	7.3 µg/L
103	Little Crawling Stone Deep Lake	A	45.9 ft	44 ft	-
104	Armour Lake	A	34.5 ft	56 ft	11.7 µg/L
105	Big Crawling Stone Deep Lake	A	55.8 ft	87 ft	-
106	Moss Lake West Deep	A	23 ft	29 ft	-
107	Benson Lake	A	34.9 ft	-	-
108	Wild Rice Lake Deep	A	27.9 ft	26 ft	-
109	Ike Walton Lake Deep	A	27.9 ft	61 ft	-
110	Little Crab Lake	A	36.1 ft	26 ft	-
111	Beaver Lake	A	21.3 ft	20 ft	16.4 µg/L
112	Carlin Lake	A	24 ft	36 ft	-
113	Long Interlaken Lake Deep	A	49.2 ft	65 ft	-
114	Little Trout Lake Deep	A	49.2 ft	98 ft	-
115	Upper Sugarbush Lake Deep	A	49.2 ft	29 ft	-
116	Pokegema Lake Deep	A	39.4 ft	65 ft	-
117	North Crab Lake	A	26.2 ft	35 ft	-
118	Fence Lake Deep	A	55.8 ft	86 ft	-
119	Lower Sugarbush Lake Deep	A	55.8 ft	61 ft	-
120	Flambeau Lake Deep	A	42.7 ft	78 ft	-
121	Middle Sugarbush Lake Deep	A	49.2 ft	57 ft	-
122	Shannon Lake	A	22.6 ft	30 ft	16.5 µg/L
123	Dads Lake	A	35.3 ft	-	-
124	Wild Rice Lake	A	26.2 ft	26 ft	-
125	Hunter Lake	A	41.4 ft	40 ft	11.6 µg/L
126	Rest Lake	A	41 ft	53 ft	-
127	Unnamed Bog Lake	A	37.7 ft	-	-
128	Moccasin Lake	A	36.1 ft	31 ft	13.9 µg/L
129	Frank Lake	A	42 ft	38 ft	-
130	Starrett Lake	A	47.6 ft	-	-
131	Allequash Lake	A	26.8 ft	-	12.3 µg/L
132	Oberlin Lake	A	31.2 ft	25 ft	-
133	Nebish Lake	A	53.5 ft	52 ft	10.8 µg/L
134	Forest Lake	A	23 ft	60 ft	-
135	Seneca Lake	A	20.6 ft	-	-
136	Big Hurst Lake	A	78.7 ft	44 ft	-
137	Catfish Lake	A	18 ft	30 ft	-
138	Stormy Lake	A	59.1 ft	63 ft	10.5 µg/L
139	Morton Lake	A	34.5 ft	29 ft	-
140	Prong Lake	A	44.3 ft	50 ft	-
141	Smith Lake	A	27.9 ft	18 ft	-
142	Range Line Lake	A	25 ft	13 ft	-
143	Brandy Lake	A	42.7 ft	44 ft	-
144	Bittersweet Lake	A	18 ft	31 ft	-
145	Elsie Lake	A	42.7 ft	22 ft	-
146	Trout Bog Lake	A	-	24 ft	16.5 µg/L
147	Little Rock Lake	A	-	-	8.3 µg/L
148	Crystal Bog Lake	A	-	8 ft	12.5 µg/L
149	Little Trout Lake	A	-	98 ft	12.5 µg/L
150	Day Lake	A	-	57 ft	10.2 µg/L
151	Sanborn Lake	A	-	13 ft	16.1 µg/L
152	Moss Lake East	A	-	29 ft	16 µg/L
153	Tambling Lake	A	-	11 ft	15 µg/L
154	Kentuck Lake	A	33.5 ft	40 ft	24.3 µg/L
155	Stella Lake	A	16.4 ft	9 ft	27.1 µg/L
156	Boulder Lake	A	18.9 ft	23 ft	21.6 µg/L
157	Rock Lake	A	20.5 ft	18 ft	26.2 µg/L
158	Found Lake	A	17.7 ft	21 ft	20.7 µg/L
159	Cochran Lake	A	18 ft	12 ft	29.3 µg/L
160	Mcdonald Lake	A	27.5 ft	-	20.5 µg/L
161	Pickerel Lake	A	19.7 ft	26 ft	23 µg/L
162	Big Arbor Vitae Lake	A	21.3 ft	41 ft	24.1 µg/L
163	Broken Bow Lake	A	23.8 ft	23 ft	24.9 µg/L
164	Hiawatha Lake	A	13.1 ft	58 ft	18.8 µg/L
165	Lake Content	A	23.6 ft	14 ft	23.8 µg/L
166	Little Portage Lake	A	20.5 ft	11 ft	20.6 µg/L
167	Little John Jr Lake	A	32.8 ft	-	26.2 µg/L
168	Sw Bay Lake	B	13.1 ft	19 ft	-
169	Red Bass Lake	B	11.2 ft	22 ft	23.3 µg/L
170	Baker Lake	B	14.4 ft	21 ft	27.2 µg/L
171	Duck Lake	B	13.1 ft	-	-
172	Otter Lake	B	16.4 ft	30 ft	30.8 µg/L
173	Boot Lake	B	13.1 ft	15 ft	-
174	Boot Lake	B	-	19 ft	24.4 µg/L
175	Mann Lake	B	21.3 ft	18 ft	33.8 µg/L
176	Averill Lake	B	11.5 ft	-	-
177	Little Arbor Vitae Lake	B	16.4 ft	32 ft	31.9 µg/L
178	Lynx Lake	B	14.8 ft	20 ft	-
179	North Bay Lake	B	13.1 ft	19 ft	-
180	East Bay Lake	B	13.1 ft	19 ft	-
181	Moss Lake East Deep	B	11.5 ft	29 ft	-
182	Unnamed Lake	B	-	26 ft	21.9 µg/L
183	Ne Bay Lake	B	13.1 ft	19 ft	-
184	L St Germain Lk Site K @ S. Bay Lake	B	-	53 ft	27 µg/L
185	Mosslake_deep	B	-	29 ft	23 µg/L
186	Haskell Lake	B	-	50 ft	21 µg/L
187	Rice Lake	B	10.7 ft	7 ft	39.6 µg/L
188	Watersmeet Lake	B	11.5 ft	12 ft	36.2 µg/L
189	Little St Germain Lake	B	11.5 ft	53 ft	45.4 µg/L
190	Lost Lake	B	14.8 ft	20 ft	35.3 µg/L
191	Muskellunge Lake	B	13.1 ft	19 ft	31.3 µg/L
192	Scattering Rice Lake	B	14.1 ft	17 ft	31.3 µg/L
193	West Bay Lake	C	8.2 ft	19 ft	-
194	Amik Lake	C	9.2 ft	8 ft	38.9 µg/L
195	Big Lake	C	7 ft	30 ft	-
196	Seventeen Lake	C	8.9 ft	8 ft	-
197	Lac Vieux Desert Lake	C	5.7 ft	38 ft	28.2 µg/L
198	Crawford Lake	C	7.3 ft	11 ft	58.2 µg/L
199	Kenu Lake	C	7.3 ft	13 ft	43.5 µg/L
200	Little St. Germain Lk-South Bay-Nr St. Germain Lake	C	-	53 ft	33.5 µg/L
201	Mamie Lake	D	5 ft	15 ft	-
202	Little St. Germain Lake-West Bay-at St. Germain	F	-	53 ft	238 µg/L

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.