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Big Lake Butte des Morts is a freshwater lake located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Winnebago Pool (also known as the Winnebago System) of lakes in east central Wisconsin, along with Lake Winnebago, Lake Poygan, and Lake Winneconne. The lake is fed by the Fox River in the southwest and the Wolf River draining from Lake Winneconne in the northwest, and drains via the Fox River in the southeast into Lake Winnebago. Lake Butte des Morts is part of the Butte des Morts region in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. It is not connected to Little Lake Butte des Morts, which is located along the Lower Fox River, downstream of Lake Winnebago

The name "Butte des Morts" was given by French colonial settlers. It means "Mound of the Dead", in reference to a nearby prehistoric Native American burial mound. In the Menominee language this place is known as Paehkuahkīhsaeh which means "small mound".

Basin Morphometry
Lake Butte des Morts has a surface area of 34.7 km2, making it the second smallest of the Winnebago Pool lakes, after Lake Winneconne. Much of the lake is flooded marshland, which was created by the damming of the Fox River downstream in Menasha in the 19th century. This has resulted in the lake's flat and shallow character, with a maximum depth of 2.7 m. The lake's average depth is 2.1 m.

Cities
The city of Oshkosh lies between Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winnebago, along the Fox River. The unincorporated community of Butte des Morts lies on the lake's northern shore, west of Oshkosh.

Environment
The Wisconsin Clean Water Act classifies Lake Butte des Morts as a "shallow lowland" type inland lake. It has a continuously mixed water column, and sees no appreciable seasonal stratification.

Water Quality
Lake Butte des Morts is classified as eutrophic. The lake is listed with Wisconsin DNR as having "impaired" water quality, citing high levels of phosphorus, mercury, and PCBs and low levels of dissolved oxygen, among other problems. Much of these pollutants enter the watershed from agricultural and urban runoff. Large algal blooms and high E. coli populations often make the water unsafe for swimming. The water is typically a murky brown or green color, with high turbidity.

Biology
Fish species found in the lake include walleye, drum, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, carp, flathead and channel catfish, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill and sturgeon. Wetland plants common in and around the lake are American lotus, common reed, and wild rice. Invasive species include chinese mystery snail, curly-leaf pondweed, eurasian water-milfoil, round goby, rusty crayfish, and zebra mussel.

Shipping
A marked navigation channel guides passage across the lake from the inflow of the Wolf River in the west (connecting to Lake Poygan), to the outflow of the Fox River east to Lake Winnebago, allowing for navigation of the relatively shallow lake. Big Lake Butte des Morts serves as part of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, connecting Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River via the Fox and Wisconsin River

Recreation
Big Lake Butte des Morts is popular among both fishermen and recreational boaters during the warm months, and with ice fishermen in the winter. Sunset Point, located near the U.S. Highway 41 bridge, is one of the most popular walleye fishing spots on the Winnebago System. The Tribal Heritage Crossing, a designated national trail and a portion of the Wiouwash State Trail, crosses the lake alongside the US 41 bridge.