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LakeQuality

Big Moon Lake at

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #14 of 28 lakes in the county · 10 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 187 acres
Mesotrophic

Big Moon Lake at in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 187 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Big Moon Lake at. DNR survey details →

Clarity
10 ft
Max depth
48 ft
Area
187 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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Big Moon Lake at is a 187-acre mesotrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 48 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Barron County, Big Moon Lake at ranks #14 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

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

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Eau Claire

Get alerts for Big Moon Lake at

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus level: 23.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)10 ftNot graded
Phosphorus23.3 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)47Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Big Moon Lake at

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Moon Lake at in Barron 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 Moon Lake at

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 →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Big Moon Lake at.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Moon Lake at B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1999. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Walleye(Common)Musky(Present)Northern Pike(Present)

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth48 ft
Surface Area187 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
10 sq mi
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Elevation
1,158 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Big Moon LakePublic

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

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Big Moon Lake at

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Chinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf Pondweed

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.036 m/yr4
Phosphorus Stable+0.19 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Big Moon Lake at is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Big Moon Lake (completed 1968), built primarily for recreation on the Moon Creek; earth-type dam, 9 ft tall and 500 ft long.

Surface area
187 ac
Normal storage
900 ac-ft
Max storage
2,000 ac-ft
Drainage area
7 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
Barron County

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00486 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.38 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Big Moon Lake at is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004359 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.46 km)

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Big Moon Lake at under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Almena Village Of
    Almena · 1.1 mi away · NPDES WI0023183
    Recent violation

Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.

County Ranking

Ranked #14 of 28 lakes in Barron County

Nearby Lakes in Barron County

Frequently asked questions about Big Moon Lake at

Where is Big Moon Lake at?

Big Moon Lake at is a lake in Barron 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 Moon Lake at?

Big Moon Lake at in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 187 acres.

Is Big Moon Lake at safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Big Moon Lake at has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Big Moon Lake at?

Big Moon Lake at has a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake covers 187 acres.

What fish are in Big Moon Lake at?

Fish species found in Big Moon Lake at include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Big Moon Lake at is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Moon Lake at?

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Big Moon Lake at. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Moon Lake at B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Are there boat ramps on Big Moon Lake at?

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

State Parks Near Big Moon Lake at

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX25 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory