Lake Placid
Sawyer County, Wisconsin178 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Placid. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Placid in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 178 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lake Placid. DNR survey details →
Lake Placid is a 178-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Sawyer County, Lake Placid ranks #26 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Placid is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water30 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 Lake Placid 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 Lake Placid
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lake Placid, 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 15 ft down. Phosphorus 12.2 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.2µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Placid
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Placid typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 78°F) and coldest in Mar (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Placid water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lake Placid.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Placid’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. 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 1998. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Surface area
178 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Placid
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Placid in Sawyer 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 Lake Placid
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Follow Lake Placid’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Placid
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: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.09 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Sawyer County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Placid
Where is Lake Placid?
- Lake Placid is a lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Placid?
- Lake Placid in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 178 acres.
Is Lake Placid 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 Lake Placid?
- Lake Placid typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Placid?
- Lake Placid has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 178 acres.
What fish are in Lake Placid?
- Fish species found in Lake Placid include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye. Lake Placid is located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lake Placid?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Lake Placid. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Placid’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Lake Placid?
- Public access to Lake Placid is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Lake Placid across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
32 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_WQX32 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes