Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

A
Grade A — Excellent
Excellent · #1 of 13 lakes in the county · 11.8 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 937 acres
Mesotrophic

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend in Washington County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 937 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend. DNR survey details →

Clarity
11.8 ft
Max depth
105 ft
Area
937 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Declining
Public access
Yes

Next lake in Washington County

Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.

Loading map…

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend is a 937-acre mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 105 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-08-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Watch Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low 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.

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Milwaukee

Get alerts for Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Good clarity, visible to about 11.8 ft. Phosphorus level: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus17.5 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)3.6 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)43Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend in Washington 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 Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

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 →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (164,437 cells/mL) on February 21, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 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. 3 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Reported
Trophic State Index 43 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Largemouth Bass(Abundant)Panfish(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Present)

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth105 ft
Surface Area937 acres
Public AccessYes

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Conring DrivePublic

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 Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Grass Carp(since 1990)

Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.22 m/yr6
Phosphorus Declining+0.61 µg/L/yr7
Chlorophyll-a Declining+0.11 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 13 lakes in Washington County

Nearby Lakes in Washington County

BBig Cedar Lake Northern Basin Deep Site8.7 ft clear · MesotrophicCompareView →
BBig Cedar Lake16.4 ft clear · OligotrophicCompareView →
ABig Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend12.6 ft clear · MesotrophicCompareView →
BBig Cedar Lake9.8 ft clear · MesotrophicCompareView →
BLittle Cedar Lake10.5 ft clear · MesotrophicView →NRSmith Lake4 ft clearView →

Frequently asked questions about Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Where is Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend is a lake in Washington County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend in Washington County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 937 acres.

Is Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend safe to swim in?

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend has a maximum depth of 105 feet. The lake covers 937 acres.

What fish are in Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Fish species found in Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend is located in Washington County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Does Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (164,437 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 Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend?

Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Conring Drive. Public access is listed as yes.

State Parks Near Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend

Where this data comes from

72 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • USGS Wisconsin Water Science CenterUSGS-WI72 samples · 2020–2023
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

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