Big Lake is a lake in Baraga County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Big Lake?

Big Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 118.8 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Big Lake?

Big Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Lake State Forest Campground. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Big Lake?

Big Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.

Big Lake

Baraga County, Michigan119 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.

Max depth

30 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

119 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

1.6 mi

Measured length

30 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Big Lake in Baraga County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 118.8 acres.

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Water clarity at Big Lake

Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Big Lake averaged 2.22 m (7 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake.

Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.

Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.

The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 5.27 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.

Big Lake is a 119-acre lake in Baraga County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 30 feet (13-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Big Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Big 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.

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Water quality measurements for Big Lake

These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Big Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Big Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

30 ft

Average depth

13 ft

Surface area

119 acres

Shoreline

1.6 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by EGLE

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Big Lake State Forest CampgroundPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Big Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Lake in Baraga 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 Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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 Michigan’s top lakes →

Follow Big Lake’s readings

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Fishing Big Lake

→ Big Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Nearby Lakes in Baraga County

Worm Lake6.3 miView →Parent Lake7.1 miView →May Lake—View →Tracy Lake—View →Saine Lake—View →Net River Flooding—View →

Frequently asked questions about Big Lake

Where is Big Lake?: Big Lake is a lake in Baraga County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Lake?: Big Lake in Baraga County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 118.8 acres.
Is Big Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Big Lake?: Big Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 118.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Big Lake?: Big Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Lake State Forest Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Lake?: Big Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.