White Sand Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin746 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for White Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Rusty Crayfish
- 71 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
White Sand Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 71 ft. Surface area: 746 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Sand Lake. DNR survey details →
White Sand Lake is a 746-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 71 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What White Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water71 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether White Sand 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 White Sand Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for White Sand Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20ft | 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. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about White Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Sand Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Sand 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 2014. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
71 ft
Surface area
746 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
21 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
5.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,631 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- White Sand LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near White Sand Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing White Sand 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
Improving6 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about White Sand Lake
Where is White Sand Lake?
- White Sand 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 White Sand Lake?
- White Sand Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 71 ft. Surface area: 746 acres.
Is White Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is White Sand Lake?
- White Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 71 feet. The lake covers 746 acres.
What fish are in White Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in White Sand Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. White Sand Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at White Sand Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Sand Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Sand 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.
Are there boat ramps on White Sand Lake?
- White Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include White Sand Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at White Sand Lake?
- White Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore White Sand Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX20 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory