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LakeQuality

Big Lake vs West Bay Lake

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

West Bay 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

West Bay Lake

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 42.7 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricBig LakeWest Bay Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity7 ft42.7 ft
PhosphorusNo data16.4 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth30 ft31 ft
Surface Area780 acres417 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species66
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

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

Verdict

West Bay Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 42.7 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, West Bay Lake also leads with 6 species.