Big Roche A Cri Lake
Big Roche A Cri Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 217 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Roche A Cri Lake. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 10 ft
- Max depth
- 20 ft
- Area
- 217 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Big Roche A Cri Lake is a 217-acre mesotrophic lake in Adams County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Adams County, Big Roche A Cri Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow 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
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus level: 22.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 22.9 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Big Roche A Cri Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Roche A Cri Lake in Adams 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.
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Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Roche A Cri Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Roche A Cri Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 1989. 3 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Big Roche A Cri Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2021Big Roche a Cri late spring shocking survey, 2021Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft |
| Surface Area | 217 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Roche A Cri LakePublic
- Highway 13 BridgePublic
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 Roche A Cri Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.025 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.07 µg/L/yr | 7 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Big Roche A Cri Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cottonville (completed 1924), built primarily for recreation; gravity-type dam, 25 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 204 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,834 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,650 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 71 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Adams County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00062 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.37 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 18 lakes in Adams County
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about Big Roche A Cri Lake
Where is Big Roche A Cri Lake?
- Big Roche A Cri Lake is a lake in Adams 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 Roche A Cri Lake?
- Big Roche A Cri Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 217 acres.
Is Big Roche A Cri Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Big Roche A Cri Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Big Roche A Cri Lake?
- Big Roche A Cri Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 217 acres.
What fish are in Big Roche A Cri Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Roche A Cri Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Big Roche A Cri Lake is located in Adams County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Roche A Cri Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Big Roche A Cri Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Big Roche A Cri Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 Roche A Cri Lake?
- Big Roche A Cri Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Roche A Cri Lake, Highway 13 Bridge. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Roche A Cri Lake across LakeQuality
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX35 samples · 2020–2026
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)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory