Crab Lake
Vilas County, WisconsinOligotrophic
Crab Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Vilas County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.
The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Crab Lake ranks 68 of 202 in Vilas County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.
No invasive species are currently listed at Crab Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Crab Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 32.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 32.8 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | 12.6 µg/L | A |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.4 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.3 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #68 of 202 lakes in Vilas County
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Wisconsin
Waukesha County · Clarity: 14.6 ft
Waukesha County · Clarity: 13.8 ft
Walworth County · Clarity: 19 ft
Washington County · Clarity: 12 ft
Kenosha County · Clarity: 10.1 ft
Washington County · Clarity: 12.5 ft
Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2024-08-31
Monitoring stations: 2