Big Doctor Lake
Big Doctor Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 4.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
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Why Big Doctor Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Big Doctor Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by WI DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Big Doctor Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-06-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Big Doctor Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.3 ft. Trophic State Index: 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Big Doctor Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Doctor Lake in Burnett 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 Doctor Lake
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Water Temperature
Big Doctor Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Mar (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 122 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Doctor Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Big Doctor Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Big Doctor LakePublic
- Crooked Lake ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Big Doctor Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Big Doctor Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005139 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Big Doctor Lake
Big Doctor Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
Frequently asked questions about Big Doctor Lake
Where is Big Doctor Lake?
- Big Doctor Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Big Doctor Lake?
- Big Doctor Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility.
Is Big Doctor Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Big Doctor Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Big Doctor Lake?
- Big Doctor Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 122 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Doctor Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Big Doctor Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Big Doctor Lake?
- Big Doctor Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Doctor Lake, Crooked Lake Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Doctor Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX3 samples · 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory