Big Eau Pleine Reservoir

Marathon County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1427400

This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations

Size

6,830 acres

Max depth

46 ft

DNR lake type

Complex, Warm, dark water color

Water clarity

1.5 ft

Low, measured Jun 2023

A warm-water lake type: the DNR groups it with lakes that warm up through summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.

Outline

Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1981), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.

Water clarity

1.5 ft Secchi depthLow

Last measured Jun 26, 2023. 30 readings on record, 2007 to 2023.

Typical summer clarity (June to September): 1.6 ft, low, from 18 readings (2012 to 2023).

Measured at the monitoring station named “Big Eau Pleine Southeast Point”.

Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.

Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station Big Eau Pleine Southeast Point. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Water temperature

A typical year Modeled estimate

  • Ice goes outabout Apr 13 (Apr 5 to Apr 23)
  • Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 23 (Apr 17 to May 4)
  • Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 27 (May 22 to Jun 1)
  • June surface71°F, usually 70 to 74°F
  • July surface77°F, usually 76 to 79°F
  • August surface75°F, usually 73 to 77°F

Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.

A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.

Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).

Today at the lake

Loading today's forecast…

Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.

Stocking history

  • Walleyelast stocked 2017 (fry); stocked in 5 years since 2010
  • Muskellungelast stocked 2016 (large fingerling); stocked in 4 years since 2010
  • Northern Pikelast stocked 2014 (fry); stocked in 1 year since 2010

Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.

Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Fish recorded near this lake

Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.

Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Boat landings

Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

More lakes in Marathon County

All Marathon County lakes

Where this comes from

  • Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
  • Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
  • VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
  • Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026

See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.

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