Wisconsin Lake Finder

Big Lake

Big Lake is a 780-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, up to 30 feet deep, with 86 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. The DNR lists no public boat landing.

• Size: 780 acres
• Deepest point: 30 ft
• Average depth: 13 ft
• Bottom: 65% sand, 20% gravel, 10% rock, 5% muck
• Fish: Musky, Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
• Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
• Drive time without traffic: Green Bay 3 hr 20 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 25 min, Appleton 3 hr 30 min, Madison 4 hr 5 min, Twin Cities 4 hr 30 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 45 min, Waukesha 4 hr 45 min, Rockford 5 hr, Chicago 6 hr
• Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Rusty Crayfish
• Waterfront parcels: 86 waterfront parcels

Questions about Big Lake

How many waterfront properties are on Big Lake?

86 waterfront parcels front Big Lake in Vilas County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.

How big is Big Lake?

Big Lake covers 780 acres in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

How deep is Big Lake?

Big Lake is 30 feet deep at its deepest point, and 13 feet deep on average.

What fish are in Big Lake?

The Wisconsin DNR lists musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Big Lake.

Is there public access to Big Lake?

The Wisconsin DNR lists no public boat landing, beach or park on Big Lake.

Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Big Lake?

Big Lake is over 50 acres, so Wisconsin's slow-no-wake rule for small lakes does not apply and boats may run at speed, staying slow within 100 feet of shore, docks and swimmers. No local boating ordinance that limits motorboats is on record.

How long is the drive to Big Lake?

By car, Big Lake is about 3 hr 20 min from Green Bay, 3 hr 25 min from Eau Claire, 3 hr 30 min from Appleton, 4 hr 30 min from the Twin Cities and 6 hr from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.

What is the bottom of Big Lake like?

The lake bottom is 65% sand, 20% gravel, 10% rock, 5% muck, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.