Osprey Lake
Sawyer County, Wisconsin214 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Osprey Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Purple Loosestrife
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
Osprey Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 214 acres.
Osprey Lake is a 214-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 32 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Sawyer County, Osprey Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Osprey Lake covers about 210 acres in Sawyer County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Osprey Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Osprey Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water32 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 Osprey 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 Osprey Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Osprey Lake, 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 16 ft down. Phosphorus 14.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Osprey Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Surface area
214 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
1,339 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Osprey LakeSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Osprey Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Osprey 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 Osprey Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Osprey Lake
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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.51 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.08 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Sawyer County
Frequently asked questions about Osprey Lake
Where is Osprey Lake?
- Osprey 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 Osprey Lake?
- Osprey Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 214 acres.
Is Osprey Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Osprey Lake?
- Osprey Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake covers 214 acres.
What fish are in Osprey Lake?
- Fish species found in Osprey Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Osprey Lake is located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Are there boat ramps on Osprey Lake?
- Osprey Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Osprey Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Osprey Lake?
- Osprey Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Osprey Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
104 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Lac Courte Oreilles (Tribal)
LCOWIS_WQX74 samples · 2020–2024 - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX30 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 2320 B ~ Alkalinity by Gran Titration
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus by Ascorbic Acid
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory