Big Sand Lake (Vilas County)

Vilas, Wisconsin

Big Sand Lake is a 1,427-acre lake in Vilas County with a maximum depth of 56 feet and low water clarity. WDNR lists panfish as abundant; musky, smallmouth bass and walleye are common.

Air temp in Phelps, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Big Sand Lake (Vilas County) (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area1,427 acres

Max depth56 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Bluegill●●●●○

Panfish abundant per WDNR

Yellow Perch●●●●○

Panfish abundant per WDNR

Crappie●●●○○

Panfish abundant per WDNR

Muskellunge●●●○○

Common per WDNR

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Common per WDNR

Walleye●●●○○

Common per WDNR

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Present per WDNR

Northern Pike●●○○○

Present per WDNR

Boat launches

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

Big Sand Lake public boat landingsPublic
WDNR lists 1 public boat landing(s)Directions ↗
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 20-24 in protected; only 1 over 24 in; open May 2, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	15 in	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2 to Jun 19, 2026	14 in	5 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass Jun 20, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	14 in	5 / day
Smallmouth Bass May 2 to Jun 19, 2026; catch and release only	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day
Northern Pike Open May 2, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2 to Dec 31, 2026; open water only	50 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year; page notes max 5 bluegill/pumpkinseed over 7 in	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Trout See specific trout regulations	Varies	Varies

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 ↗
LT Bait & TackleNearby
7197 Bradley St, Lake Tomahawk, WI 54539(715) 277-2616 Directions ↗
Up North TradersNearby
2977 State Highway 155, Sayner, WI 54560(715) 542-2046 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Big Sand Lake (Vilas County) ↗

Local tips

Low clarity: use noisy or bright lures
Musky present: bring a net and heavy leader
Check WDNR regulations before keeping fish

View on interactive map

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

More Wisconsin lakes

Lake Puckaway Lake DuBay Lake Winneshiek Lake Winneconne Willow Flowage Lake Vieux Desert Lac Vieux Desert Trout Lake All Wisconsin lakes →

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