Burns Lake

Burns Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Sawyer County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI value of 33 puts Burns Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. At 41 acres, Burns Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Burns Lake sits at rank 27 of 52 in Sawyer County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Burns Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 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.