Balsam Lake
Balsam Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.3 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- ~68 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Balsam Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 68 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 26 other monitored lakes in Washburn County, Balsam Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.8 ft. Phosphorus level: 19.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19.3 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Balsam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Balsam Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Balsam Lake
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Water Temperature
Balsam Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2024–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Balsam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~68 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~22 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Balsam Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Balsam LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Balsam Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.15 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.27 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Balsam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004640 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Balsam Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Birchwood Village OfBirchwood · 1.5 mi away · NPDES WI0060003Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 27 lakes in Washburn County
Nearby Lakes in Washburn County
Frequently asked questions about Balsam Lake
Where is Balsam Lake?
- Balsam Lake is a lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Balsam Lake?
- Balsam Lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.3 µg/L.
Is Balsam Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Balsam Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Balsam Lake?
- Balsam Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Balsam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Balsam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 68 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Balsam Lake?
- Balsam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Balsam Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
77 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX77 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory