Big Portage Lake
Big Portage Lake is a 586-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, up to 40 feet deep, with 143 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and walleye. It has a public boat landing.
- Size: 586 acres
- Deepest point: 40 ft
- Average depth: 18 ft
- Bottom: 70% sand, 15% gravel, 15% rock
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Walleye
- Public access: a public boat landing
- 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 30 min, Appleton 3 hr 40 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 45 min, Madison 4 hr 20 min, Twin Cities 4 hr 45 min, Milwaukee 5 hr, Waukesha 5 hr, Rockford 5 hr 15 min, Chicago 6 hr 15 min
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Rusty Crayfish
- Waterfront parcels: 143 waterfront parcels
Questions about Big Portage Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Big Portage Lake?
143 waterfront parcels front Big Portage Lake in Vilas County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Big Portage Lake?
Big Portage Lake covers 586 acres in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Big Portage Lake?
Big Portage Lake is 40 feet deep at its deepest point, and 18 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Big Portage Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and walleye in Big Portage Lake.
Is there public access to Big Portage Lake?
Yes. Big Portage Lake has a public boat landing.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Big Portage Lake?
Big Portage 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 Portage Lake?
By car, Big Portage Lake is about 3 hr 30 min from Green Bay, 3 hr 40 min from Appleton, 3 hr 45 min from Eau Claire, 4 hr 45 min from the Twin Cities and 6 hr 15 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Big Portage Lake like?
The lake bottom is 70% sand, 15% gravel, 15% rock, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.