Big Lake
Apache County, Arizona518 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 49 ft max depth
- Limited data
Big Lake in Apache County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 76 µg/L. Surface area: 518 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~49 ft est.
- Area
- 518 acres
- Phosphorus
- 76 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Big Lake
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Watch Big Lake’s letter
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Why Big 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 Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not 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 ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Big Lake is a 518-acre lake in Apache County, Arizona with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-11-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Big Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping5 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Big Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.7 ft. Phosphorus 76 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 76 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~22 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 518 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Arizona has not published bathymetry for Big 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
Public campgrounds near Big Lake
- Cutthroat Cg0.9 km
- Brookchar Cg1.2 km
- Apache Trout Campground1.2 km
- Grayling Cg1.3 km
- Rainbow Cg2.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Big Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.026 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.33 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Big Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Big Lake (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the Black River; earth-type dam, 32 ft tall and 485 ft long.
- Surface area
- 518 ac
- Normal storage
- 9,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.47 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ00061 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Apache County
Frequently asked questions about Big Lake
Where is Big Lake?
- Big Lake is a lake in Apache County, Arizona. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Big Lake?
- Big Lake in Apache County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 76 µg/L. Surface area: 518 acres.
Is Big Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Big Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Big Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 518 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Big Lake?
- Big Lake has 5 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Cutthroat Cg, Brookchar Cg, Apache Trout Campground, Grayling Cg. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Big Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC9 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles