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
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
- Bigmouth Shiner Notropis dorsalis1927; 1 record
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus2024; 1 record
- Blacknose Shiner Notropis heterolepis1927; 1 record
- Blackside Darter Percina maculata1927; 1 record
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1927; 1 record
- Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans1927; 1 record
- Central Mudminnow Umbra limi1927; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1927; 1 record
- Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus1927; 1 record
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas1927; 1 record
- Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum1927; 1 record
- Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus1927; 1 record
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1927; 1 record
- Logperch Percina caprodes1927; 1 record
- Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus1927; 1 record
- Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans1927; 1 record
- Northern Redbelly Dace Chrosomus eos1927; 1 record
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1927; 1 record
- Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum1927; 1 record
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1927; 1 record
- Rosyface Shiner Notropis rubellus1927; 1 record
- Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum1927; 1 record
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1927; 1 record
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1927; 1 record
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
- 1Maryel Boat LandingBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Township
Directions - 2Big Eau Pleine River AccessBoat ramp · Paved surface · Township
Directions - 3Big Eau Pleine River AccessBoat ramp · Unimproved surface · Township
Directions - 4Big Eau Pleine River AccessBoat ramp · Gravel surface · County
Directions - 5Big Eau Pleine River AccessBoat ramp · Paved surface · Township
Directions - 6Big Eau Pleine County Park - West Unit Boat RampBoat ramp · Paved surface · Accessible features · County
Directions - 7Big Eau Pleine County Park - South Unit Boat Ramp 1Boat ramp · Paved surface · Accessible features · County
Directions - 8Big Eau Pleine County Park - South Unit Boat Ramp 2Boat ramp · Paved surface · Accessible features · County
Directions - 9Sandy Shore Drive LaunchBoat ramp · Gravel surface · State(dnr)
Directions - 10Big Eau Pleine River AccessBoat ramp · Paved surface · Other
Directions - 11Lisa's LandingBoat ramp · Paved surface · Accessible features · Other
Directions - 12George's LandingBoat ramp · Concrete Plank surface · State(dnr)
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Marathon County
- Teal Flowage1.9 miles away
- Smoky Hill Flowage3.3 miles away
- Berkhahn Flowage (Townline)3.6 miles away
- North Rice Lake3.7 miles away
- South Rice Lake4.1 miles away
- Lake Du Bay9.4 miles away
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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