Prairie Lake

Prairie Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Prairie Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Prairie Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Prairie Lake covers 1,408 acres alongside partial shoreline records, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Prairie Lake ranks 32 of 38 in Barron County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Prairie Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Banded Mystery Snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Prairie Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.