Big Arbor Vitae Lake vs Little Arbor Vitae Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Arbor Vitae Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Little Arbor Vitae Lake (C, Fair). 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 grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Arbor Vitae Lake (B) versus Little Arbor Vitae Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24.1 µg/L | 31.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 41 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,070 acres | 480 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 4 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Arbor Vitae Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Little Arbor Vitae Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Arbor Vitae Lake also leads with 4 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.