Burns Lake

Burns Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Sawyer County. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Burns Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. At only 9 ft deep, Burns Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. At 41 acres, Burns Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Among the 50 graded lakes in Sawyer County, Burns Lake sits at rank 22, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Burns Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 4 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.