Big Stone Lake vs Lake Julia
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Julia reads lower on nutrients and algae than Big Stone Lake. Both are in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
Both Big Stone Lake and Lake Julia 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. The readings are close: Big Stone Lake and Lake Julia sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
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 Stone Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.2 ft.
Lake Julia
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Stone Lake | Lake Julia |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.2 ft | 7 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 22.5 µg/L | 11.2 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 57 ft Better | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 607 acres | 404 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 7 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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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Verdict
Big Stone Lake and Lake Julia read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Big Stone Lake: 4.2 ft, Lake Julia: 7 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Stone Lake has fewer fish species than Lake Julia.
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Where to stay near Big Stone Lake and Lake Julia
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Big Stone Lake and Lake Julia. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.