Where is Rooney Lake?

Rooney 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 temperature of Rooney Lake?

Rooney Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Rooney Lake?

Rooney Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 329 acres.

What fish are in Rooney Lake?

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

Are there boat ramps on Rooney Lake?

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

Can I fish at Rooney Lake?

Rooney 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.

Rooney Lake

Burnett County, Wisconsin329 acresView map Directions

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

Clarity

11 ft

Typical for Wisconsin

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

16.7 µg/L

Typical for Wisconsin

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Water temp

~73°F

Typical for Aug · EPA WQP

Max depth

30 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

329 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Mesotrophic
Purple Loosestrife
30 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Rooney Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 329 acres.

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

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Rooney Lake is a 329-acre mesotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 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, Rooney Lake ranks #18 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Rooney Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Clear water11 ft of visibility
Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing4 species recorded
Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low algae

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 Rooney 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 →

Get alerts for Rooney Lake →

Water quality measurements for Rooney Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Rooney 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 16.7 µg/L. TSI 44.

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	16.7µg/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.	44	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Rooney Lake

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

Water Temperature

Rooney Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Aug (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

76°

Jun

78°

Jul

73°

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (73°F) to its warmest (78°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rooney Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Rooney Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rooney Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 1988. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

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

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

Lake Details

Max depth

30 ft

Surface area

329 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

1 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

4 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

984 ft

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

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Rooney 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 Rooney Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rooney 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 Rooney 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 Rooney 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 Walleye

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

Fishing Rooney 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 SnailPurple Loosestrife

Water Quality Trend: Worsening

Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).

Water clarity
Stable
6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening
+2.45 µg/L/yr7 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Burnett County

Goose Lake—View →Behr Lake—View →Nicaboyne Lake—View →Deep Lake—View →Lindy Lake—View →Crescent Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Rooney Lake

Where is Rooney Lake?: Rooney 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 Rooney Lake?: Rooney Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 329 acres.
Is Rooney Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Rooney Lake?: Rooney Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rooney Lake?: Rooney Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 329 acres.
What fish are in Rooney Lake?: Fish species found in Rooney Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Rooney Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rooney Lake?: Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Rooney Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rooney Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Rooney Lake?: Rooney Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rooney Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rooney Lake?: Rooney 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.

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Other Lakes in Wisconsin

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Washburn County · 11 ft

Big Mckenzie Lake

Washburn County · 10 ft

Bass Lake

Washburn County · 16 ft

Matthews Lake

Washburn County · 13.3 ft

Mclain Lake

Washburn County · 9.5 ft

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Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Lower Mckenzie Lake Big Mckenzie Lake Matthews Lake Mclain Lake

Where this data comes from

44 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX44 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-073041

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

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