Big Island Lake
Schoolcraft County, Michigan140 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Island Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 139.6 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Big Island Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Big Island Lake is a 140-acre lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Bluegill, Northern pike, and Pumpkinseed. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Island Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big Island Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Big Island Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Big Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Island Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Sep (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Surface area
140 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
8.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
797 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Island Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan — 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 Island Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Big Island Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Island Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2017–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Nearby Lakes in Schoolcraft County
Frequently asked questions about Big Island Lake
Where is Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake is a lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 139.6 acres.
Is Big Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 139.6 acres.
What fish are in Big Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Island Lake include Bluegill, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth bass, Yellow perch. Big Island Lake is located in Schoolcraft County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Big Island Lake?
- Public access to Big Island Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Big Island Lake across LakeQuality
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Planning a trip around Pictured Rocks?
Big Island Lake is about 25 miles from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Pictured Rocks →More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Eastern Regional Office
USFSEASTERN3 samples · 2017–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)