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Big Sand Lake
Enhanced dataInteractive depth contours
Big Sand LakeBurnett County, WI
Contours load with map Access
Interactive depth contours5-foot typical interval · Modeled depth estimate · Not a survey · Not for navigation
Source: LakeList depth modelmedium confidence · QA passed · Select a contour to inspect its mapped depthModeled depth estimate: contours computed from the lake's shoreline shape and its documented 55-ft maximum depth (depth grows with distance from shore, calibrated to the documented mean depth where available). This is a smooth mathematical model, not a survey - real holes, bars, and drop-offs will differ. Community sonar (C-MAP Genesis) overlays where recorded. Not for navigation.LakeList assistant
Plan your lake day
Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Big Sand Lake.
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Fishing forecast
Best windows for Big Sand Lake
Weather-based planning built from the National Weather Service hourly forecast near this lake.
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Checking wind, precipitation, and near-term weather windows.
Water temperature
Big Sand Lake water temperature today
Modeled surface-temperature estimate built from seasonal climate, lake depth, and live National Weather Service air temperatures near this lake.
71°FWarm
Seasonal estimate. Checking current National Weather Service air temperatures…
Comfortable summer pattern. Bass and panfish are active; early and late hours beat the midday heat.
Estimates are modeled, not measured. Actual temperatures vary with depth, wind mixing, and recent weather — verify conditions before swimming, boating, or heading onto ice.
DNR water check
Water quality quick take
From Wisconsin DNR / Citizen Lake Monitoring readings at Big Sand Lake - Near Deep Hole.
Last sampled Sep 2024
Through 2024, clear water — summer clarity of 10.5 ft is clearer than most monitored Wisconsin lakes.
Based on July–August 2024 averages across 2 volunteer readings.Water claritySecchi disk depth
10.5 ftJul–Aug 2024 avg (2 readings)
ClearStable since 2016
Clearer than 74% of 596 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.
No recent algae readings — last measured 2004. No recent nutrient readings — last measured 2004.
All readings by year · station details · methodology
Summer averages (July/August)
July/August means; counts in parentheses show how many samples went into each average.
| Year | Secchi | Chlorophyll-a | Total phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10.5 ft (2) | — | — |
| 2023 | 9.0 ft (2) | — | — |
| 2022 | 10.3 ft (5) | — | — |
| 2020 | 9.3 ft (2) | — | — |
| 2019 | 9.8 ft (2) | — | — |
| 2018 | 11.4 ft (5) | — | — |
| 2017 | 12.2 ft (3) | — | — |
| 2016 | 10.0 ft (1) | — | — |
| 2015 | 8.8 ft (2) | — | — |
| 2014 | 8.6 ft (2) | — | — |
Latest individual samples: Secchi 13 ft (2024-09-26), chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L (2004-08-03), and total phosphorus 13 µg/L (2004-08-03).
Secchi clarity is how deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface — more feet means clearer water.
Chlorophyll-a is an algae pigment; higher values signal more algae in the water column.
Total phosphorus is a nutrient that feeds algae and aquatic plants. It is not a weed survey — depth, bottom type, water movement, and management change the actual lake experience.
Big Sand Lake - Near Deep HoleStation 073061
Modeled from DNR/CLMN monitoring — not a safety or swim-condition report. Verify current conditions locally. LakeList verified 2026-07-12.Official Wisconsin information
Plan with DNR sources
LakeList links to the authoritative record so you can verify maps, rules, and current notices before leaving.
Historical DNR depth maps1 converted map sheetFishing regulationsVerify current seasons, limits, and restrictionsOfficial DNR lake pageFacts, advisories, boating, and water qualityWater quality reportsMonitoring stations, clarity, and DNR reportsInvasive speciesVerified, observed, and historical AIS recordsBoating ordinancesLocal slow-no-wake and water-use restrictionsFish consumption advisoriesStatewide and waterbody-specific health guidance
Historical depth maps are not for navigation. Verify regulations and access at the official source before your trip.
Historical Wisconsin DNR maps
Big Sand Lake depth maps
1 converted map sheet. These historical surveys are not for navigation.
Navigable depth map
Big Sand Lake · sheet 1
Pan, zoom, and inspect the converted Wisconsin DNR historical map image in the browser. Historical survey — not for navigation.
Source: Wisconsin DNR · WBIC 2676800 · image navigation only; spatial alignment pending · Historical lake maps are not for navigation.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Converted for browser access with source URLs, checksums, and retrieval dates retained. Historical lake maps are not for navigation.
Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey
Fish population survey
Structured LakeList extraction from the 2022 DNR fisheries survey. Population estimates, density, and catch-rate indices use different units, methods, and scopes, so each value is presented in its original form rather than normalized against a different measure.
Survey indicatorsValues keep their source unit and method; unlike measures are not scaled or compared.
Management contextThe report is specific to Big Sand Lake. Northern pike and walleye values retain the April 21 SE1 scope; walleye combined-size values include SE1 and SE2; bass and panfish values retain the June 2 SE2 station scope.
The 2022 survey found low-density northern pike and stocked walleye, moderate largemouth bass with improved size structure, abundant bluegill with acceptable size structure, and lower-density pumpkinseed.
- Walleye were sustained by tribal stocking and the report did not recommend management changes to bolster that population.
- The report recommends fyke netting northern pike in the next survey if possible because electrofishing may underrepresent their abundance.
Bluegill
159 fishBluegill captured · p. 5159 fish/mileBluegill CPUE · p. 51.9 inchesMinimum bluegill length · p. 58.8 inchesMaximum bluegill length · p. 5
Largemouth bass
115 fishLargemouth bass captured · p. 428.8 fish/mileLargemouth bass CPUE · p. 46.5 inchesMinimum largemouth bass length · p. 421.5 inchesMaximum largemouth bass length · p. 4
Northern pike
20 fishNorthern pike captured · p. 33.3 fish/mileNorthern pike CPUE · p. 310.5 inchesMinimum northern pike length · p. 335.5 inchesMaximum northern pike length · p. 3
Pumpkinseed
23 fishPumpkinseed captured · p. 615.3 fish/milePumpkinseed CPUE · p. 66 inchesMinimum pumpkinseed length · p. 68.5 inchesMaximum pumpkinseed length · p. 6
Walleye
8 fishWalleye captured in SE1 · p. 31.3 fish/mileWalleye SE1 CPUE · p. 319 fishWalleye captured across SE1 and SE2 · p. 37.5 inchesMinimum walleye length · p. 3
Big Sand Lake comprehensive survey, 2022Matched by exact lakelist id name county state wbic · WBICs 2676800 · verified 2026-07-19Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey report; LakeList operator documented permission to leverage this report with source attribution.
1,434surface acres
55max depth feet
1public access points
45.8246, -92.2195latitude, longitude
Access
Public access points
Boat launchAccess45.82162, -92.23915Managed by Wisconsin DNR
DNR verifiedDirections
Nearby
Trip-planning places
No nearby trip-planning places yet
Fishery
Notable species
Largemouth BassNorthern PikePanfishSmallmouth BassWalleye
Wisconsin DNR stocking
Fish stocking history
The latest published year is 2025, when 130,062 fish were recorded across 2 entries.
2025
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Fry
129,4950.5 in average
2025
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Large Fingerling
5676.4 in average
2024
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Small Fingerling
228,1223.5 in average
2023
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Fry
217,9010.5 in average
2023
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Large Fingerling
2,2587.0 in average
2022
WalleyeUpper Mississippi River · Fry
267,3530.5 in average
2022
WalleyeUnspecified · Large Fingerling
1,3457.4 in average
2021
WalleyeUpper Mississippi River · Large Fingerling
1,1267.2 in average
2021
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Small Fingerling
8,4452.0 in average
2020
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Fry
175,2450.5 in average
2020
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
1,4077.5 in average
2019
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Small Fingerling
238,5780.7 in average
Showing the 12 most recent records from 23 published entries.
Depth FAQ
How deep is Big Sand Lake?
Big Sand Lake is 55 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 9 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.
Is there a free depth map of Big Sand Lake?
Yes. LakeList publishes a free interactive depth contour map of Big Sand Lake at a typical 5-foot interval, with an optional 3D underwater view, derived from LakeList depth model survey data.
Where does the Big Sand Lake depth map come from?
The interactive depth contours are derived from LakeList depth model. Each contour set passes a visual QA review against the source document before it is published. The depths are a modeled estimate calibrated to the lake's documented maximum depth - not a survey, and not for navigation.
Trust and freshness
Where this lake data comes from
Wisconsin DNR Lake Pagesname, coordinates, county, source identifiers
LakeList record updated 2026-05-25
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