Prairie Lake
Barron County, Wisconsin1,408 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Prairie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Prairie Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1408 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Prairie Lake. DNR survey details →
Prairie Lake is a 1,408-acre lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Prairie Lake covers about 1,400 acres in Barron County. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Prairie Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Prairie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Big water1,408 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Prairie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Prairie 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.
Water quality measurements for Prairie Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Prairie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Prairie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Prairie Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Jun (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Prairie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Prairie Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (839,460 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Prairie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Prairie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. 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. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
1,408 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Prairie LakePublic
- County Highway D BridgePublic
- County Highway I BridgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Prairie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Prairie Lake in Barron 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 Prairie 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 Prairie Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Prairie 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Prairie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004438 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Barron County
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Lake
Where is Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake is a lake in Barron County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1408 acres.
Is Prairie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Prairie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 1408 acres.
What fish are in Prairie Lake?
- Fish species found in Prairie Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Prairie Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Prairie Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Prairie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Prairie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Prairie Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Prairie Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (839,460 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Prairie Lake, County Highway D Bridge, County Highway I Bridge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Prairie Lake?
- Prairie Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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 Prairie Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Barron County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Wisconsin
Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
19 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 Resources
WIDNR_WQX19 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory