Green Lake — also known as Big Green Lake — is a lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in Green Lake County, Wisconsin

Green Lake County, Wisconsin

Green Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 19,105. Its county seat is Green Lake. The center of population of Wisconsin is located in Green Lake County in the city of Markesan.-Geography:...

, USA.

The lake has a maximum depth of 237 feet (72 m), making it the deepest natural inland lake in Wisconsin. It is also has a larger volume of water than any other inland lake in Wisconsin. The lake covers 7346 acres (30 km²), has 29.3 miles (47.2 km) of shoreline and has an average depth of 100 feet (30.5 m).

Many large, wooden hotels and one short-lived casino populated the north shore during the late 19th century in the city of Green Lake

Green Lake, Wisconsin

Green Lake is a city in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,100 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the north side of Big Green Lake. The city of Green Lake is the county seat for the county of Green Lake...

, but most have burnt down. There are three golf courses in Green Lake - Tuscumbia, Mascoutin, and Lawsonia.

Big Green Lake is known for its fishing. Fish found in Big Green Lake include northern pike

Northern Pike

The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...

, largemouth bass

Largemouth bass

The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

, muskellunge

Muskellunge

A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...

, crappie

Crappie

Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

, walleye

Walleye

Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, channel catfish

Catfish

Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

, white bass

White bass

The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...

, perch

Perch

Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...

, rock bass

Rock bass

The rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...

 and cisco

Cisco (fish)

The ciscoes are salmonid fish of the genus Coregonus that differ from other members of the genus in having upper and lower jaws of approximately equal length and high gillraker counts...

 and lake trout

Lake trout

Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...

. The Wisconsin inland lake record lake trout was caught on Big Green Lake by Joseph Gotz on June 1, 1957 and weighed 35 lb (15.8757 kg) The Wisconsin record cisco was caught on Big Green on June 12, 1969 by Joe Miller and weighed 4 pound

The sources of Green Lake's water, in approximate percentages, are: direct precipitation, 51%; surface water, 41%; ground water, 8%. It is spring-fed & empties into the Fox River through the Pukyan River. The lake's Native American name is Day Cho Lah.

External links

• Maps of Big Green Lake from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...