Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site vs Bone Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bone Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site. Both are in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site and Bone Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are meaningfully apart: Bone Lake carries clearly lower phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings than Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site. A spread that wide reflects real underlying differences, in watershed inputs, depth profiles, or monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: Bone Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Bone Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site | Bone Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 5.7 ft | 8 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 42.7 µg/L | 19.8 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft | 43 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,901 acres | 1,667 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 4 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Bone Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site. Water clarity: 8 ft vs 5.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Bone Lake also leads with 4 species.
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Where to stay near Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site and Bone Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.