Red Cedar Lake

Red Cedar Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Barron County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Red Cedar Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. Red Cedar Lake is unusually deep for Wisconsin at 53 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 1,897 acres, Red Cedar Lake is one of the larger lakes in Barron County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within Barron County's 38 graded waters, Red Cedar Lake sits at rank 7, near the top of the local distribution.

An invasive species record — Chinese Mystery Snail — has been logged at Red Cedar Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Walleye are documented at Red Cedar Lake, one of 5 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Red Cedar Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.