Where is Mud Hen Lake?

Mud Hen Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Mud Hen Lake?

Mud Hen Lake has a maximum depth of 66 feet. The lake covers 569 acres.

What fish are in Mud Hen Lake?

Fish species found in Mud Hen Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Mud Hen Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.

Does Mud Hen Lake have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mud Hen Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (48,753 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.

Are there boat ramps on Mud Hen Lake?

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

Can I fish at Mud Hen Lake?

Mud Hen 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.

Mud Hen Lake

Burnett County, Wisconsin569 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Mud Hen Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

11 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2025

Phosphorus

15.8 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Max depth

66 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

569 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Trend

Worsening

6 years of samples

Mesotrophic
2 aquatic invasives
66 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Mud Hen Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 569 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Mud Hen Lake. DNR survey details →

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Mud Hen Lake is a 569-acre mesotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 66 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Burnett County, Mud Hen Lake ranks #8 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Mud Hen Lake covers about 570 acres in Burnett County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Mud Hen Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.

What Mud Hen Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Clear water11 ft of visibility
Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing3 species recorded
Deep water66 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

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 Mud Hen 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Hayward →

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Water quality measurements for Mud Hen Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Mud Hen 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 11 ft. Phosphorus 15.8 µg/L. TSI 43.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	11ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	15.8µg/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.	43	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Mud Hen Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mud Hen Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (48,753 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Mud Hen Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mud Hen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1987. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Good · Deep Seepage lake

Trophic State Index 43 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Largemouth Bass(Abundant)Panfish(Common)Northern Pike(Common)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

66 ft

Surface area

569 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

7 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

4.3 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

955 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Mud Hen 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 Mud Hen Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mud Hen 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 Mud Hen Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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 →

Follow Mud Hen Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

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Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass Northern Pike

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

Fishing Mud Hen 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 PondweedPurple Loosestrife

Water Quality Trend: Worsening

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

Water clarity
Worsening
5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening
+0.63 µg/L/yr4 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Burnett County

Dunham Lake—View →Blomberg Lake—View →Hunters Lake—View →Lind Lake13.5 ft clear—View →Little Wood LakeEutrophic—View →Doctor Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Mud Hen Lake

Where is Mud Hen Lake?: Mud Hen 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 Mud Hen Lake?: Mud Hen Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 569 acres.
Is Mud Hen Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Mud Hen Lake?: Mud Hen Lake has a maximum depth of 66 feet. The lake covers 569 acres.
What fish are in Mud Hen Lake?: Fish species found in Mud Hen Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Mud Hen Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mud Hen Lake?: Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Mud Hen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mud Hen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Mud Hen Lake have blue-green algae?: There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mud Hen Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (48,753 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Mud Hen Lake?: Mud Hen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mud Hen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mud Hen Lake?: Mud Hen 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 Mud Hen Lake across LakeQuality

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Official ratings and named-lake measurements

State Parks Near Mud Hen Lake

Straight Lake State Park

State Park · 12.5 mi

Other Lakes in Wisconsin

Polk County · 8.2 ft

Polk County · 6.2 ft

Polk County · 6 ft

Polk County · 13.4 ft

Bone Lake

Polk County · 8 ft

Crescent Lake

Polk County · 4.5 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Diamond Lake Freedom Lakes Moccasin Lake Sandhill Lake

Compare Mud Hen Lake With Nearby Lakes

Mud Hen Lake vs Big Sand Lake

Burnett County · 11 ft

Mud Hen Lake vs Wood Lake

Burnett County · 5.5 ft

Where this data comes from

78 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_WQX78 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-073046

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.