Big Eau Pleine Reservoir (Marathon County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 1427400 — permanent page /lakes/1427400/.

Big Eau Pleine Reservoir is in Marathon County; records show 6,348 acres and 2 DNR access-site records.

Size

6,348 acres

Lake type

DRAINAGE

Max depth

46 ft

Mean depth

16 ft

• 2 documented public access site records (DNR access inventory)
• 4 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 2017 (DNR stocking records)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 1.3 ft (field measurements)
• Official DNR depth map available (PDF)

Back to results Show on map Choose access / Directions Depth map (PDF) Check current DNR regulations

Plan your visit

• Lake directory: public landing — Yes
• Lake directory: public beach — No
• Lake directory: public park — Yes
• DNR public-access inventory: 2 documented access site records
• DNR public-access inventory: documented developed boat ramp
• 2 sites qualify for per-site Directions through the reviewed lake association (load the site details below)

Each statement is bounded to its named source; absence of a record is never evidence of no access. The DNR access database may lag reality; posted signs at the landing are authoritative.

Verify at the DNR public boat access program page.

Fishing

The DNR lake page publishes 4 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.

DNR fish labels: Walleye—Abundant; Northern Pike—Common; Musky—Present; not population counts.

Stocking records: 29 documented events through 2017, 49,216,953 fish total. Species: Walleye (Occasional), Muskellunge And Hybrids (Occasional), Northern Pike (Historic). Events in 2015 or later count as recent.

Fisheries survey population estimates are published for this lake; survey estimates are historical point-in-time studies and are never compared or ranked here.

• Musky reproductive status (DNR mapped): Natural reproduction plus stocking (Cat. 2)
• Musky angling class — 2018 historical publication, not current status: Musky A1 — DNR trophy-water class

Fishing limits — 2026-2027 season: 17 normalized rows across 17 species entries. Normalized from the DNR ruleset retrieved 2026-08-04. Source text remains authoritative.

2026-2027 retained fishing rules: 17 published rows for 17 species; effective through 2027-03-07. Check current DNR rules.

Water and setting

• Field-measured summer Secchi clarity: median 1.3 ft from 85 samples, latest sample 2025-08-26
• Satellite clarity estimate: 2.18 ft (2017) — a remote-sensing estimate, kept separate from field measurements

Official DNR depth map (PDF) — Historical lake map; not for navigation. Link checked 2026-07-16.

No public aquatic invasive species occurrence record was found for this lake. The DNR inventory is non-exhaustive; absence of a record is never evidence of absence.

• Public-land proximity (GIS proxy, not access evidence): mapped public land within 1,000 ft; nearest: Mead Wildlife Area (Wisconsin DNR); ≈19.4% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈8.7% developed land within 300 m, ≈1.3% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈0 m; ≈1.4 km of road per km² within 1 km

• Priority Navigable Waterway — basis: musky area, walleye area

Designations are legally defined DNR records shown as their sources state them; no composite rating is implied.

Data & sources

Published data families

• Fish species and abundance (DNR lake pages)
• Fish stocking history
• Fishing regulations (normalized snapshot)
• Directory access facts (landing, beach, park)
• Public access site inventory
• Satellite water clarity estimate
• Field-measured Secchi clarity
• Fisheries survey population estimates

Original records: Wisconsin DNR lake page.

Missing values are unpublished, never zero; each fact above is bounded to its named source and date. Full sourcing detail: Data & methods.