Big Arbor Vitae Lake vs Little Arbor Vitae Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Arbor Vitae Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Little Arbor Vitae Lake. Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Big Arbor Vitae Lake and Little Arbor Vitae Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Big Arbor Vitae Lake versus Little Arbor Vitae Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Little Arbor Vitae Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Arbor Vitae Lake | Little Arbor Vitae Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6 ft Better | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24.1 µg/L Better | 31.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 41 ft Better | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,070 acres | 480 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 4 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Big Arbor Vitae Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Little Arbor Vitae Lake. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Arbor Vitae Lake also leads with 4 species.
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Where to stay near Big Arbor Vitae Lake and Little Arbor Vitae Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.