Spider Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin278 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Spider Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 4 aquatic invasives
- 43 ft max depth
Spider Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 278 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Spider Lake. DNR survey details →
Spider Lake is a 278-acre mesotrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 43 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Spider Lake ranks #2 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 Spider Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water43 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 Spider 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 Spider Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Spider 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 14.1 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.1µg/L | Good 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spider Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spider Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spider Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Spider Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (387,258 cells/mL) on April 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Spider Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider 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 2006. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Surface area
278 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spider Lake
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Follow Spider Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spider 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.15 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Spider Lake
Where is Spider Lake?
- Spider 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 Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 278 acres.
Is Spider Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake covers 278 acres.
What fish are in Spider Lake?
- Fish species found in Spider Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Spider Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spider Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Spider Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider 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.
Does Spider Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Spider Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (387,258 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Spider Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX30 samples · 2022–2025
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes