Big Sand Lake vs Mud Hen Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Mud Hen Lake. Both are in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
Big Sand Lake and Mud Hen 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. These two sit close on the readings, Big Sand Lake versus Mud Hen 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.
Mud Hen Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Sand Lake | Mud Hen Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 11 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.5 µg/L | 15.8 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.3 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft | 66 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,434 acres | 569 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 Mud Hen Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Big Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Mud Hen Lake. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 11 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Sand Lake also leads with 5 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.