Windigo Lake

Windigo Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Sawyer County. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Windigo Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake's 51 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 503 acres and partial shoreline records put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Among the 50 graded lakes in Sawyer County, Windigo Lake sits at rank 17, above the county median.

Windigo Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 5 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.