Spectacle Lake
Spectacle Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 11.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Why Spectacle Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Spectacle Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by WI DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Spectacle Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Spectacle Lake water quality
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Spectacle Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Spectacle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spectacle 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Spectacle Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 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 Spectacle 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
- Spectacle LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Spectacle Lake
- Spectacle Lake1.1 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Spectacle Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.061 m/yr | 6 |
Graded lakes near Spectacle Lake
Spectacle Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Spectacle Lake
Where is Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility.
Is Spectacle Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Spectacle Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Spectacle Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Spectacle Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spectacle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Spectacle Lake. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Spectacle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
31 measurements from 3 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_WQX31 samples · 2020–2026
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles