Big Hills Lake
Big Hills Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Waushara County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Big Hills Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Waushara County, Big Hills Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Big Hills Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 16.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Big Hills Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Hills Lake in Waushara 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 Hills 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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 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 Hills 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
- Hills Lake County ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Big Hills Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.576 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #15 of 16 lakes in Waushara County
Nearby Lakes in Waushara County
Frequently asked questions about Big Hills Lake
Where is Big Hills Lake?
- Big Hills Lake is a lake in Waushara 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 Hills Lake?
- Big Hills Lake in Waushara County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L.
Is Big Hills Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Big Hills Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Big Hills Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Big Hills Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 Hills Lake?
- Big Hills Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hills Lake County Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Hills Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Waushara County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Big Hills Lake
Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin
Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
88 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX88 samples · 2021–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory