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LakeQuality

Little Sissabagama Lake

Sawyer County, Wisconsin308 acresView mapDirections

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Sissabagama Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
12.2 ft
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2025
Phosphorus
14.7 µg/L
Typical for Wisconsin
Measured by Wisconsin DNR
Max depth
75 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
308 acres
Surface area
Type
Mesotrophic
Trophic class
Trend
Improving
6 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • 75 ft max depth
  • Public access

Little Sissabagama Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 308 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Little Sissabagama Lake. DNR survey details →

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Little Sissabagama Lake is a 308-acre mesotrophic lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 75 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Sawyer County, Little Sissabagama Lake ranks #23 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Little Sissabagama Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water12.2 ft of visibility
  • Fishing5 species recorded
  • Deep water75 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low 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 Little Sissabagama 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.

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Water quality measurements for Little Sissabagama Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Sissabagama Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Good clarity, visible to about 12.2 ft. Phosphorus 14.7 µg/L. TSI 42.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)12.2ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus14.7µg/LGood
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.42Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Little Sissabagama Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Little Sissabagama Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sissabagama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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 1986. 3 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Good · Deep Seepage lake
Trophic State Index 47 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Largemouth Bass(Abundant)Musky(Common)Panfish(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Present)Walleye(Present)

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Little Sissabagama Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

Max depth

75 ft

Surface area

308 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

2 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

5.3 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,332 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Little Sissabagama Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Sissabagama Lake 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 Little Sissabagama Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Little Sissabagama Lake

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

  • Water clarity

    Improving

    6 years

  • Phosphorus

    Improving

    -0.37 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Sawyer County

Frequently asked questions about Little Sissabagama Lake

Where is Little Sissabagama Lake?

Little Sissabagama Lake 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 Little Sissabagama Lake?

Little Sissabagama Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 308 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Little Sissabagama Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Little Sissabagama Lake?

Little Sissabagama Lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet. The lake covers 308 acres.

What fish are in Little Sissabagama Lake?

Fish species found in Little Sissabagama Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Little Sissabagama Lake is located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Sissabagama Lake?

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Little Sissabagama Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sissabagama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR on this page ↑

Can I fish at Little Sissabagama Lake?

Public access to Little Sissabagama Lake 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.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

66 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX66 samples · 2020–2025

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