Fish Lake
Burnett County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Fish Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
Fish Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
Fish Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. 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 29 other monitored lakes in Burnett County, Fish Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Fish Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Fish 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 Fish Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Fish 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 14 ft. Phosphorus 12.7 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | 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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Fish Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fish Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 80°F) and coldest in Jun (about 75°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (75°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2024–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fish Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fish Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (432,514 cells/mL) on April 4, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Fish Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 6 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2024Upper Clam River Watershed fishery survey, 2024Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2021Yellow Lake fishery survey, 2021Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
- 2018Middle McKenzie comprehensive fisheries survey 2018Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2018 (PDF)
- 2017Clam Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2017Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
- 2016Lipsett Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2016Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2016 (PDF)
- 2014Yellow Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2014Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2014 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
~44 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Fish Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
321 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
981 ft
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
- Fish LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fish Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fish Lake in Burnett 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 Fish Lake
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Follow Fish Lake’s readings
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Fishing Fish Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.63 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
Frequently asked questions about Fish Lake
Where is Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
Is Fish Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fish Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fish Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Does Fish Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fish Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (432,514 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fish Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Fish Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Burnett County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
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Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
84 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_WQX84 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory