Smith Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin41 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Smith Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 18 ft max depth
- Limited data
Smith Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 41 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Smith Lake. DNR survey details →
Smith Lake is a 41-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Smith 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 Smith Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Smith Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Smith Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Smith Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
41 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,627 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Smith Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Smith Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Smith Lake
Where is Smith Lake?
- Smith 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 Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 41 acres.
Is Smith Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 41 acres.
What fish are in Smith Lake?
- Fish species found in Smith Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Smith Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Smith Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Smith Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX1 sample · 2024
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