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LakeQuality

Echo Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #11 of 28 lakes in the county · 13 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 172 acres · from A
Mesotrophic

Echo Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 172 acres.

Clarity
13 ft
Max depth
41 ft
Area
172 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

Next lake in Barron County

BLoon Lake8.5 ft clear · Barron CountyView →
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Echo Lake is a 172-acre mesotrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 41 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Barron County, Echo Lake ranks #11 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low 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

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Hayward

Get alerts for Echo Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus level: 14.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)13 ftNot graded
Phosphorus14.8 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)42Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Echo Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Echo Lake in Barron 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 Echo Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth41 ft
Surface Area172 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Elevation
1,201 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Echo LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Echo Lake

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Chinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-Milfoil

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 2004. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Good · Deep Seepage lake
Trophic State Index 45 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Present)

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.564 m/yr6
Phosphorus Improving-0.33 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Echo Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).

Causes of impairment

Cause unknown

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005047 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.64 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #11 of 28 lakes in Barron County

Nearby Lakes in Barron County

Frequently asked questions about Echo Lake

What is the water quality grade for Echo Lake?

Echo Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 172 acres.

Is Echo Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Echo Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Echo Lake?

Echo Lake has a maximum depth of 41 feet. The lake covers 172 acres.

What fish are in Echo Lake?

Fish species found in Echo Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Echo Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on Echo Lake?

Echo Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Echo Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

51 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX51 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory