WI · ranked by public data

The 25 Clearest Lakes in Vilas County, Wisconsin

85 Vilas County lakes are at least 50 acres with a current DNR water-clarity reading, out of 567 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.

129 ft
564 acres
Vilas County, WI
Black Oak Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.16, -89.32564 acres | 85 ft max1 public access pointPanfish, Largemouth Bass
29 ft water clarity (Jun 2026) · 564 acres, 85 ft max depth · 1 public landing
226 ft
523 acres
Vilas County, WI
Stormy Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.06, -89.32523 acres | 63 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Trout
26 ft water clarity (Sep 2023) · 523 acres, 63 ft max depth · 1 public landing
324.4 ft
170 acres
Vilas County, WI
Katinka Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.20, -89.79170 acres | 60 ft max0 public access pointsMusky, Panfish
24.4 ft water clarity (May 2024) · 170 acres, 60 ft max depth · No verified public access
422 ft
468 acres
Vilas County, WI
Forest Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.15, -89.38468 acres | 60 ft max1 public access pointPanfish, Walleye
22 ft water clarity (Jul 2025) · 468 acres, 60 ft max depth · 1 public landing
521.5 ft
586 acres
Vilas County, WI
Big Portage Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.13, -89.28586 acres | 40 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Walleye
21.5 ft water clarity (May 2026) · 586 acres, 40 ft max depth · 1 public landing
620.5 ft
503 acres
Vilas County, WI
Ballard Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedDNR impairmentWater data
46.06, -89.50503 acres | 25 ft max2 public access pointsSpecies pending
20.5 ft water clarity (Oct 2025) · 503 acres, 25 ft max depth · 2 public landings · DNR impairment listed
720 ft
1,483 acres
Vilas County, WI
Crawling Stone Lake
enhancedDepth mapAIS recordedWater data
45.94, -89.881,483 acres | 87 ft max0 public access pointsPanfish, Walleye
20 ft water clarity (Aug 2023) · 1,483 acres, 87 ft max depth · No verified public access
819.8 ft
746 acres
Vilas County, WI
White Sand Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.09, -89.59746 acres | 71 ft max1 public access pointMusky, Smallmouth Bass
19.8 ft water clarity (Aug 2025) · 746 acres, 71 ft max depth · 1 public landing
919.5 ft
1,166 acres
Vilas County, WI
Flambeau Lake
enhancedDepth mapAIS recordedWater data
45.96, -89.911,166 acres | 78 ft max2 public access pointsLargemouth Bass, Musky
19.5 ft water clarity (Aug 2019) · 1,166 acres, 78 ft max depth · 2 public landings
1019 ft
897 acres
Vilas County, WI
Big Muskellunge Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.02, -89.61897 acres | 70 ft max3 public access pointsLargemouth Bass, Musky
19 ft water clarity (Jul 2020) · 897 acres, 70 ft max depth · 3 public landings

Rank	Lake	County	Water clarity	Acres	Max depth	Public access
11	Harris Lake	Vilas	18 ft	534	57 ft	1 landing
12	Lower Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	18 ft	180	61 ft	—
13	Upper Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	18 ft	141	29 ft	1 landing
14	White Birch Lakeimpaired	Vilas	18 ft	113	27 ft	1 landing
15	Presque Isle Lake	Vilas	17.5 ft	1,165	103 ft	2 landings
16	Little Star Lake	Vilas	17.5 ft	260	67 ft	2 landings
17	Upper Gresham Lake	Vilas	16.7 ft	362	32 ft	1 landing
18	Papoose Lake	Vilas	16 ft	422	65 ft	1 landing
19	Little Crawling Stone Lake	Vilas	15.5 ft	113	44 ft	1 landing
20	Long Lake	Vilas	15.4 ft	886	88 ft	2 landings
21	Big Lake	Vilas	15 ft	827	61 ft	2 landings
22	Middle Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	15 ft	254	57 ft	—
23	Lynx Lake	Vilas	14 ft	307	48 ft	2 landings
24	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	14 ft	223	23 ft	—
25	Lake Laura	Vilas	13.2 ft	628	43 ft	2 landings

Methodology

How this list is built

Ranked by the most recent documented Secchi disk reading (feet of visibility) from DNR/CLMN monitoring.
Readings older than 10 years are excluded — a decades-old reading no longer says anything about today's water.
Lakes under 50 acres — or without documented acreage — are excluded from rankings.
Readings deeper than the lake's own documented maximum depth are treated as source-data errors and excluded.
Clarity swings with season and weather, so the reading date is shown for every lake.
Only monitored lakes can rank. A clear lake nobody measures cannot appear here — this list rewards documentation as much as clarity.

FAQ

Vilas County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Vilas County?

Black Oak Lake — By most recent Secchi reading, Black Oak Lake in Vilas County is the clearest monitored lake in Vilas County, with 29 feet of visibility.

Clearest lakes statewide Deepest lakes in Vilas County Biggest lakes in Vilas County Lakes with the most public access in Vilas County All Vilas County lakes

Source data: Wisconsin DNR lake and monitoring records as aggregated by LakeList. Figures reflect the most recent documented values, not new surveys — verify access and rules before you go. Lake outlines are shoreline shapes from LakeList and the USGS National Hydrography Dataset; they illustrate a lake's form and are not depth or navigation charts.

WI · ranked by public data

The 25 Clearest Lakes in Vilas County, Wisconsin

85 Vilas County lakes are at least 50 acres with a current DNR water-clarity reading, out of 567 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.

129 ft
564 acres
Vilas County, WI
Black Oak Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.16, -89.32564 acres | 85 ft max1 public access pointPanfish, Largemouth Bass
29 ft water clarity (Jun 2026) · 564 acres, 85 ft max depth · 1 public landing
226 ft
523 acres
Vilas County, WI
Stormy Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.06, -89.32523 acres | 63 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Trout
26 ft water clarity (Sep 2023) · 523 acres, 63 ft max depth · 1 public landing
324.4 ft
170 acres
Vilas County, WI
Katinka Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.20, -89.79170 acres | 60 ft max0 public access pointsMusky, Panfish
24.4 ft water clarity (May 2024) · 170 acres, 60 ft max depth · No verified public access
422 ft
468 acres
Vilas County, WI
Forest Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.15, -89.38468 acres | 60 ft max1 public access pointPanfish, Walleye
22 ft water clarity (Jul 2025) · 468 acres, 60 ft max depth · 1 public landing
521.5 ft
586 acres
Vilas County, WI
Big Portage Lake
enhancedDepth mapWater data
46.13, -89.28586 acres | 40 ft max1 public access pointSmallmouth Bass, Walleye
21.5 ft water clarity (May 2026) · 586 acres, 40 ft max depth · 1 public landing
620.5 ft
503 acres
Vilas County, WI
Ballard Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedDNR impairmentWater data
46.06, -89.50503 acres | 25 ft max2 public access pointsSpecies pending
20.5 ft water clarity (Oct 2025) · 503 acres, 25 ft max depth · 2 public landings · DNR impairment listed
720 ft
1,483 acres
Vilas County, WI
Crawling Stone Lake
enhancedDepth mapAIS recordedWater data
45.94, -89.881,483 acres | 87 ft max0 public access pointsPanfish, Walleye
20 ft water clarity (Aug 2023) · 1,483 acres, 87 ft max depth · No verified public access
819.8 ft
746 acres
Vilas County, WI
White Sand Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.09, -89.59746 acres | 71 ft max1 public access pointMusky, Smallmouth Bass
19.8 ft water clarity (Aug 2025) · 746 acres, 71 ft max depth · 1 public landing
919.5 ft
1,166 acres
Vilas County, WI
Flambeau Lake
enhancedDepth mapAIS recordedWater data
45.96, -89.911,166 acres | 78 ft max2 public access pointsLargemouth Bass, Musky
19.5 ft water clarity (Aug 2019) · 1,166 acres, 78 ft max depth · 2 public landings
1019 ft
897 acres
Vilas County, WI
Big Muskellunge Lake
enhancedDepth mapStockedWater data
46.02, -89.61897 acres | 70 ft max3 public access pointsLargemouth Bass, Musky
19 ft water clarity (Jul 2020) · 897 acres, 70 ft max depth · 3 public landings

Rank	Lake	County	Water clarity	Acres	Max depth	Public access
11	Harris Lake	Vilas	18 ft	534	57 ft	1 landing
12	Lower Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	18 ft	180	61 ft	—
13	Upper Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	18 ft	141	29 ft	1 landing
14	White Birch Lakeimpaired	Vilas	18 ft	113	27 ft	1 landing
15	Presque Isle Lake	Vilas	17.5 ft	1,165	103 ft	2 landings
16	Little Star Lake	Vilas	17.5 ft	260	67 ft	2 landings
17	Upper Gresham Lake	Vilas	16.7 ft	362	32 ft	1 landing
18	Papoose Lake	Vilas	16 ft	422	65 ft	1 landing
19	Little Crawling Stone Lake	Vilas	15.5 ft	113	44 ft	1 landing
20	Long Lake	Vilas	15.4 ft	886	88 ft	2 landings
21	Big Lake	Vilas	15 ft	827	61 ft	2 landings
22	Middle Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	15 ft	254	57 ft	—
23	Lynx Lake	Vilas	14 ft	307	48 ft	2 landings
24	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	14 ft	223	23 ft	—
25	Lake Laura	Vilas	13.2 ft	628	43 ft	2 landings

Methodology

How this list is built

Ranked by the most recent documented Secchi disk reading (feet of visibility) from DNR/CLMN monitoring.
Readings older than 10 years are excluded — a decades-old reading no longer says anything about today's water.
Lakes under 50 acres — or without documented acreage — are excluded from rankings.
Readings deeper than the lake's own documented maximum depth are treated as source-data errors and excluded.
Clarity swings with season and weather, so the reading date is shown for every lake.
Only monitored lakes can rank. A clear lake nobody measures cannot appear here — this list rewards documentation as much as clarity.

FAQ

Vilas County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Vilas County?

Black Oak Lake — By most recent Secchi reading, Black Oak Lake in Vilas County is the clearest monitored lake in Vilas County, with 29 feet of visibility.

Clearest lakes statewide Deepest lakes in Vilas County Biggest lakes in Vilas County Lakes with the most public access in Vilas County All Vilas County lakes

The 25 Clearest Lakes in Vilas County, Wisconsin

Black Oak Lake

Stormy Lake

Katinka Lake

Forest Lake

Big Portage Lake

Ballard Lake

Crawling Stone Lake

White Sand Lake

Flambeau Lake

Big Muskellunge Lake

How this list is built

Vilas County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Vilas County?

The 25 Clearest Lakes in Vilas County, Wisconsin

Black Oak Lake

Stormy Lake

Katinka Lake

Forest Lake

Big Portage Lake

Ballard Lake

Crawling Stone Lake

White Sand Lake

Flambeau Lake

Big Muskellunge Lake

How this list is built

Vilas County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Vilas County?