Big Sand Lake vs Clam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Sand Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Clam Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Big Sand Lake and Clam Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. Big Sand Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Clam Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Big Sand Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Big Sand Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Clam Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Sand Lake | Clam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.5 µg/L | 77.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.3 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft | 11 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,434 acres | 1,338 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 5 | 7 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Sand Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Clam Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Clam Lake edges ahead with 7 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.