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LakeQuality

Middle Mckenzie Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #23 of 30 lakes in the county · 20 ft clear · Oligotrophic · 527 acres · from A
Oligotrophic

Middle Mckenzie Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 527 acres.

Clarity
20 ft
Typical in August
80°F
Max depth
45 ft
Area
527 acres
Type
Oligotrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

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Middle Mckenzie Lake is a 527-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 45 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 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Burnett County, Middle Mckenzie Lake ranks #23 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-19. 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 Middle Mckenzie Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)20 ftNot graded
Phosphorus12.4 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay near Middle Mckenzie Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Middle Mckenzie 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 Middle Mckenzie Lake

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

Water Temperature

Middle Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
53°
Jun
Jul
71°
Aug
80°
Sep
73°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (20242024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Middle Mckenzie Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth45 ft
Surface Area527 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
32 sq mi
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Elevation
974 ft

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

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Middle McKenzie LakePublic

Fish Species

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

Fishing Middle Mckenzie 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.

Banded Mystery SnailChinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedPurple LoosestrifeZebra Mussel

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2024).

DNR Assessment
Reported
Trophic State Index 36 (oligotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+1 m/yr4
Phosphorus Improving-0.47 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Middle Mckenzie 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 WI10005561 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #23 of 30 lakes in Burnett County

Nearby Lakes in Burnett County

Frequently asked questions about Middle Mckenzie Lake

What is the water quality grade for Middle Mckenzie Lake?

Middle Mckenzie Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 527 acres.

Is Middle Mckenzie Lake safe to swim in?

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

What is the water temperature of Middle Mckenzie Lake?

Middle Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Middle Mckenzie Lake?

Middle Mckenzie Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 527 acres.

What fish are in Middle Mckenzie Lake?

Fish species found in Middle Mckenzie Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Middle Mckenzie Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.

Are there boat ramps on Middle Mckenzie Lake?

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

Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Where this data comes from

32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX32 samples · 2021–2026

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