Spirit Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin73 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Spirit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 20 ft max depth
- Limited data
Spirit Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 73 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake. DNR survey details →
Spirit Lake is a 73-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Panfish.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Spirit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.2 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Spirit 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. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.2ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spirit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
73 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,654 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spirit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spirit Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Spirit Lake
Where is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit 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 Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 73 acres.
Is Spirit Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 73 acres.
What fish are in Spirit Lake?
- Fish species found in Spirit Lake include Panfish. Spirit Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spirit Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX30 samples · 2020–2024
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