Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Big Arbor Vitae Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 1070 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Musky and Walleye as abundant on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 6 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 41 ft
- Area
- 1,070 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Vilas County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Big Arbor Vitae Lake is a 1,070-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 41 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Big Arbor Vitae Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Big Arbor Vitae Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus level: 24.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 24.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Arbor Vitae Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Big Arbor Vitae Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Arbor Vitae Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Arbor Vitae Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (169,044 cells/mL) on April 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR rates Musky and Walleye as abundant on Big Arbor Vitae Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Arbor Vitae Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1992. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 41 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,070 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake - NorthPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.186 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.33 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Big Arbor Vitae Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10008937 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #27 of 103 lakes in Vilas County
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Big Arbor Vitae Lake
Where is Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 1070 acres.
Is Big Arbor Vitae Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Big Arbor Vitae Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake has a maximum depth of 41 feet. The lake covers 1070 acres.
What fish are in Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Arbor Vitae Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye. Big Arbor Vitae Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Musky and Walleye as abundant on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Arbor Vitae Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Big Arbor Vitae Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Arbor Vitae Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (169,044 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Big Arbor Vitae Lake?
- Big Arbor Vitae Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Arbor Vitae Lake - North. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Arbor Vitae Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Vilas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Northwoods Wisconsin area
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the Wisconsin River Watershed, ranked by water quality
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Compare Big Arbor Vitae Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
67 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX67 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory