Big Sand Lake vs Birch Island Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Birch Island Lake. Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Both Big Sand Lake and Birch Island 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 the readings, Big Sand Lake versus Birch Island 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 Sand Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Birch Island Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Sand Lake | Birch Island Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11 ft Better | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.5 µg/L | 13.7 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.3 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft Better | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,434 acres | 768 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 Better | 3 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
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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Compare Big Sand Lake or Birch Island Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Big Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Birch Island Lake. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 8 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Sand Lake also leads with 5 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.