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LakeQuality

Big Lake vs Irving Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Irving Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.

C

Big Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.

A

Irving Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 36.1 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricBig LakeIrving Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity7 ft36.1 ft
PhosphorusNo data18.6 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth30 ft-
Surface Area780 acres419 acres
Public AccessUnknownYes
Fish Species64
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Irving Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 36.1 ft vs 7 ft. For more fish-species variety, Big Lake edges ahead with 6 documented species.