Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site

On the LakeGrade scale Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site grades a B, with clarity at 18.9 ft and 43 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Wisconsin median. Phosphorus is the parameter holding the grade back — runoff from the surrounding watershed appears to keep nutrient levels elevated through the summer.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of 37 ft puts Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site covers 1,901 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Within Polk County's 77 graded lakes, Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site ranks 52 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site is on the Wisconsin infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Balsam Lake Little Balsam Site makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.