Fish Lake
Fish Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 14 ft
- Typical in August
- 80°F
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Fish Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow 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
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus level: 12.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Fish Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. 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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
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
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
Fishing Fish Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.625 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.63 µg/L/yr | 6 |
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 30 lakes in Burnett County
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
Frequently asked questions about Fish Lake
Where is Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L.
Is Fish Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Fish Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, 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.
Explore Fish Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory