Burns Lake
Sawyer County, Wisconsin41 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Burns Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Limited data
Burns Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Surface area: 41 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Burns Lake. DNR survey details →
Burns Lake is a 41-acre mesotrophic lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Sawyer County, Burns Lake ranks #30 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Burns Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Burns Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Burns Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Burns Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 12.7 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Burns Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Burns Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burns Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Surface area
41 acres
The available depth estimate for Burns Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,362 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Burns Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Burns Lake in Sawyer 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 Burns Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Burns Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Sawyer County
Frequently asked questions about Burns Lake
Where is Burns Lake?
- Burns Lake is a lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Burns Lake?
- Burns Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Surface area: 41 acres.
Is Burns Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Burns Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Burns Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 41 acres.
What fish are in Burns Lake?
- Fish species found in Burns Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye. Burns Lake is located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Burns Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Burns Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burns Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Burns Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX5 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes