West Bay Lake

West Bay Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Vilas County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 34 puts West Bay Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake bottoms out at 31 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 417 acres, West Bay Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Within Vilas County's 202 graded waters, West Bay Lake sits at rank 7, near the top of the local distribution.

West Bay Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.