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.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at West Bay Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. 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. West Bay Lake ranks 67 of 191 in Vilas County — solidly in the upper half 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.