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C

Barron County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 37 lakes, average grade C (Fair)

Barron County's 37 graded lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for Wisconsin. The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. Barron County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Sand Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for Barron County

Cleanest lakes in Barron County →Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin →Safest swimming lakes in Wisconsin →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Sand Lake — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.

Fishing in Barron County

Barron County Fishing Guide

Fish species and best-graded lakes in Barron County

DNR Reports (16)

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Barron County. browse all reports →

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

All Lakes in Barron County

37 lakes · 28 graded, 9 not rated28 graded lakes · 9 not rated, hidden

#LakeGradeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicMax DepthAccess
1ASand LakeBarronA13 ft20 µg/L1.9 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
2BBeaver Dam LakeBarronB11 ft12.9 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples106 ft✓ Public
3BSilver LakeBarronB13 ft12.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples91 ft✓ Public
4BBass LakeBarronB10 ft16.7 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples14 ft✓ Public
5BBear LakeBarronB6.2 ft18 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples87 ft✓ Public
6BNorth LakeBarronB5.5 ft22.7 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples21 ft✓ Public
7BRed Cedar LakeBarronB10.1 ft17.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples53 ft✓ Public
8BKirby LakeBarronB7.5 ft24.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples19 ft✓ Public
9BLoon LakeBarronB8.5 ft18.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples26 ft✓ Public
10BBig Dummy LakeBarronB12 ft16.2 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples54 ft✓ Public
11BEcho LakeBarronB13 ft14.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples41 ft✓ Public
12BLower Vermillion LakeBarronB9 ft17.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples55 ft✓ Public
13BHorseshoe LakeBarronB7.3 ft19.2 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples19 ft✓ Public
14BBig Moon Lake atBarronB10 ft23.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples48 ft✓ Public
15BGranite Lake atBarronB6 ft23.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples34 ft✓ Public
16BLittle Dummy LakeBarronB11 ft14.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples44 ft✓ Public
17CRice LakeBarronC4.1 ft31.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples19 ft✓ Public
18CLittle Sand LakeBarronC4.8 ft28.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples39 ft✓ Public
19CUpper Turtle LakeBarronC4 ft38.2 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples25 ft✓ Public
20CMoon LakeBarronCNo recent samples39.9 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ft✓ Public
21CPoskin LakeBarronC4 ft29.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples30 ft✓ Public
22DLake MontanisBarronD2 ft48.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples14 ft✓ Public
23DButternut LakeBarronD2.3 ft73 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples15 ft✓ Public
24DLake DesairBarronD4 ft40.7 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples33 ft✓ Public
25DCrystal LakeBarronD3.2 ft52.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples22 ftNot recorded
26DStaples LakeBarronD2.6 ft131 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples17 ft✓ Public
27DLower Turtle LakeBarronD4 ft56.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples24 ft✓ Public
28DUpper Vermillion LakeBarronD1.7 ft149 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ft✓ Public
NRPrairie LakeBarronNR2 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples16 ft✓ Public
NRMud LakeBarronNR2.3 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples15 ft✓ Public
NRTenmile LakeBarronNR2 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples12 ft✓ Public
NRGranite Lake South BasinBarronNR6 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples34 ft✓ Public
NRPrairie LakeBarronNR2.1 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples16 ft✓ Public
NRLake ThirtyBarronNR4.8 ft19.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples27 ft✓ Public
NRPrairie LakeBarronNR2 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples16 ft✓ Public
NRPokegama LakeBarronNR4.5 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples19 ft✓ Public
NRLake of the Woods Barron Co. atBarronNRNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples55 ftNot recorded

NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.

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Other Counties in Wisconsin

Outagamie County

1 lake · Avg grade A

Washington County

15 lakes · Avg grade B

Kenosha County

12 lakes · Avg grade B

Marinette County

22 lakes · Avg grade B

Forest County

34 lakes · Avg grade B

Waushara County

32 lakes · Avg grade B

See how Barron County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.