Drainage lake

Big Fork Lake

Oneida, Wisconsin

Big Fork Lake is a 663-acre drainage lake in Oneida County near Three Lakes with a maximum depth of 37 feet and a mostly sand bottom. Walleye and musky are listed as common.

Air temp in Three Lakes, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Big Fork Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area663 acres

Max depth37 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Walleye●●●○○

Listed as common

Muskellunge●●●○○

Listed as common

Northern Pike●●○○○

Reported present

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Reported present

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

Reported present

Bluegill●●○○○

Panfish reported present

Crappie●●○○○

Panfish reported present

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Big Fork Lake public boat landingPublic
Staynorthern lists 1 public landing (Big Fork Lake Access); verify with WDNRDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all landingsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	None (only 1 fish over 14 in)	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2-Jun 19, 2026; Jun 20, 2026-Mar 7, 2027 combined LMB/SMB limit of 5	14 in	5 / day
Smallmouth Bass Jun 20, 2026-Mar 7, 2027 (combined with largemouth); May 2-Jun 19 catch and release only	14 in	5 / day
Northern Pike May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2-Dec 31, 2026; open water only	40 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Lake Sturgeon No fishing allowed	Closed	0

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Captain HooksNearby
7251 Bradley St, Lake Tomahawk, WI 54539(715) 277-2405 Directions ↗
Kurt's Island Sport ShopNearby
824 US Highway 51 N, Minocqua, WI 54548(715) 356-4797 Directions ↗
Fishing HoleNearby
3460 N Faust Lake Rd, Rhinelander, WI 54501(715) 362-1510 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Big Fork Lake ↗

Local tips

Sand and gravel points hold walleye
Work weed edges for musky and pike
Check WDNR regulations for musky and walleye before keeping fish

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.