Anderson Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin35 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Anderson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Rusty Crayfish
- 63 ft max depth
Anderson Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 35 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Anderson Lake. DNR survey details →
Anderson Lake is a 35-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 63 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Anderson Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Anderson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20.5 ft of visibility
- Deep water63 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Anderson Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Anderson Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Anderson Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 20.5 ft down. Phosphorus 11.5 µg/L. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Anderson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Anderson Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Anderson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Anderson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Anderson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1991. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
63 ft
Surface area
35 acres
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Stays near Anderson Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Anderson Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.43 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Anderson Lake
Where is Anderson Lake?
- Anderson Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Anderson Lake?
- Anderson Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 35 acres.
Is Anderson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Anderson Lake?
- Anderson Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Anderson Lake?
- Anderson Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake covers 35 acres.
What fish are in Anderson Lake?
- Fish species found in Anderson Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Anderson Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Anderson Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Anderson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Anderson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Anderson Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX40 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes