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LakeQuality

Little Trade Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #29 of 30 lakes in the county · 3.5 ft clear · Eutrophic · 126 acres · from C
Eutrophic

Little Trade Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 126 acres.

Clarity
3.5 ft
Max depth
19 ft
Area
126 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Declining

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Little Trade Lake

Next lake in Burnett County

CBig Trade Lake5 ft clear · Burnett CountyView →
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Little Trade Lake is a 126-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Burnett County, Little Trade Lake ranks #29 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-07-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Elevated nutrients

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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Compare the safest swimming lakes near St. Paul

Get alerts for Little Trade Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 50 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 60.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus50 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)60Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Little Trade Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Trade 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Little Trade Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Little Trade 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 Depth19 ft
Surface Area126 acres

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
64 sq mi
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Elevation
896 ft

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

Fishing Little Trade 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.

Curly-Leaf PondweedEurasian Water-Milfoil

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 2000. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Fair · Shallow Lowland lake
Trophic State Index 62 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

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

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.15 m/yr4
Phosphorus Declining+2.53 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

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

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005128 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #29 of 30 lakes in Burnett County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Little Trade Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Burnett County

Frequently asked questions about Little Trade Lake

What is the water quality grade for Little Trade Lake?

Little Trade Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 126 acres.

Is Little Trade Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Little Trade Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Little Trade Lake?

Little Trade Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 126 acres.

Where this data comes from

51 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX51 samples · 2020–2025

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