Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin4,017 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lac Vieux Desert Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
Lac Vieux Desert Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 4017 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lac Vieux Desert Lake. DNR survey details →
Lac Vieux Desert Lake is a 4,017-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 38 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Lac Vieux Desert Lake ranks #89 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lac Vieux Desert Lake covers about 4,000 acres in Vilas County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lac Vieux Desert Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lac Vieux Desert Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water38 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water4,017 acres
Lac Vieux Desert Lake Water Quality Summary (2026)
A printable one-page summary for Lac Vieux Desert Lake: clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Lac Vieux Desert 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 Lac Vieux Desert Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lac Vieux Desert Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 28.2 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28.2µg/L | Fair 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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:45 AM from gauge 05390100 (Lac Vieux Desert Near Land O'Lakes, WI). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lac Vieux Desert Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (67,920 cells/mL) on October 26, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lac Vieux Desert Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lac Vieux Desert Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is stable. 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. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2022).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
38 ft
Surface area
4,017 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Lac Vieux Desert LakePublic
- Lac Vieux DesertPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lac Vieux Desert Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lac Vieux Desert Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Lac Vieux Desert Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lac Vieux Desert Lake
- → Lac Vieux Desert Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Lac Vieux Desert Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Lac Vieux Desert Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Lac Vieux Desert Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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 readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lac Vieux Desert Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lac Vieux Desert (completed 1907), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Wisconsin River; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 27 ft long.
- Max storage
- 49,173 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 34 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01138 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Lac Vieux Desert Lake
Where is Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Lac Vieux Desert 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 Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Lac Vieux Desert Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 4017 acres.
Is Lac Vieux Desert Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Lac Vieux Desert Lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake covers 4017 acres.
What fish are in Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Fish species found in Lac Vieux Desert Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Lac Vieux Desert Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lac Vieux Desert Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lac Vieux Desert Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
What is the water level at Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lac Vieux Desert Lake is 1680.66 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:45 AM at gauge 05390100. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Does Lac Vieux Desert Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lac Vieux Desert Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (67,920 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Lac Vieux Desert Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lac Vieux Desert Lake, Lac Vieux Desert. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lac Vieux Desert Lake?
- Lac Vieux Desert Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lac Vieux Desert Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Vilas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX32 samples · 2020–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory