Big Sand Lake
Big Sand Lake is a 1,427-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, up to 56 feet deep, with 161 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore.
- Size: 1,427 acres
- Deepest point: 56 ft
- Average depth: 16 ft
- Bottom: 60% sand, 15% gravel, 15% rock, 10% muck
- Fish: Musky, Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore
- 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 10 min, Appleton 3 hr 30 min, Eau Claire 3 hr 35 min, Madison 4 hr 15 min, Twin Cities 4 hr 40 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 50 min, Waukesha 4 hr 55 min, Rockford 5 hr 10 min, Chicago 6 hr 10 min
- Invasive species on record: Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Purple Loosestrife
- Waterfront parcels: 161 waterfront parcels
Questions about Big Sand Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Big Sand Lake?
161 waterfront parcels front Big Sand Lake in Vilas County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Big Sand Lake?
Big Sand Lake covers 1,427 acres in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Big Sand Lake?
Big Sand Lake is 56 feet deep at its deepest point, and 16 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Big Sand Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Big Sand Lake.
Is there public access to Big Sand Lake?
Yes. Big Sand Lake has a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Big Sand Lake?
Big Sand 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 Sand Lake?
By car, Big Sand Lake is about 3 hr 10 min from Green Bay, 3 hr 30 min from Appleton, 3 hr 35 min from Eau Claire, 4 hr 40 min from the Twin Cities and 6 hr 10 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Big Sand Lake like?
The lake bottom is 60% sand, 15% gravel, 15% rock, 10% muck, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.