Little Rock Lake
Little Rock Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 8.3 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Little Rock Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Little Rock Lake ranks #81 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 8.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 35.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 8.3 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 35 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Rock Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Rock 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Little Rock Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Sparkling LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Little Rock Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -5.2 µg/L/yr | 3 |
County Ranking
Ranked #81 of 103 lakes in Vilas County
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Little Rock Lake
Where is Little Rock Lake?
- Little Rock Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Little Rock Lake?
- Little Rock Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 8.3 µg/L.
Is Little Rock Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Little Rock Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Little Rock Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Little Rock Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 26 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Little Rock Lake?
- Little Rock Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sparkling Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Rock Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX15 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory