Where is West Bay Lake?

West Bay Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is West Bay Lake?

West Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 270 acres.

Can I fish at West Bay Lake?

Public access to West Bay Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.

West Bay Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin270 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for West Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

8.5 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2024

Max depth

19 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

270 acres

Surface area

Trend

Worsening

6 years of samples

19 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

West Bay 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: 19 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on West Bay Lake. DNR survey details →

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West Bay Lake is a 270-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What West Bay Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Fishing5 species recorded

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether West Bay 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.

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Water quality measurements for West Bay Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for West Bay 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.

Water quality readings
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 West Bay Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on West Bay Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Bay 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1991. 10 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Good · Shallow Lowland lake

Trophic State Index 61 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Musky(Common)Panfish(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Common)Largemouth Bass(Present)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

19 ft

Surface area

270 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Stays via Stay22

Stays near West Bay Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Bay 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 West Bay Lake

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Follow West Bay Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing West Bay 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.

Chinese Mystery SnailEurasian Water-Milfoil

Water Quality Trend: Worsening

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

Water clarity
Worsening
5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening
+0.76 µg/L/yr4 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Vilas County

Muskesin Lake—View →Lower Sugarbush Lake14 ft clear · Oligotrophic—View →Grey Lake—View →Middle Sugarbush Lake Deep15 ft clear—View →Signal Lake—View →Poupart Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about West Bay Lake

Where is West Bay Lake?: West Bay 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 West Bay Lake?: West Bay 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: 19 ft. Surface area: 270 acres.
Is West Bay Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is West Bay Lake?: West Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 270 acres.
What fish are in West Bay Lake?: Fish species found in West Bay Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. West Bay Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Bay Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on West Bay Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Bay 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.
Can I fish at West Bay Lake?: Public access to West Bay Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.

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Where this data comes from

7 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX7 samples · 2020–2024

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-10046810

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.