Spirit Lake
Burnett County, Wisconsin592 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Spirit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spirit Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 592 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake. DNR survey details →
Spirit Lake is a 592-acre lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Overall water quality is improving 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.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spirit Lake covers about 590 acres in Burnett County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Spirit Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Spirit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Spirit Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | 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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Spirit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. 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. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
592 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
24 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
5.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
928 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spirit 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 Spirit 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 Spirit Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spirit 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: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
Frequently asked questions about Spirit Lake
Where is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit 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 Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 592 acres.
Is Spirit Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 592 acres.
What fish are in Spirit Lake?
- Fish species found in Spirit Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Spirit Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spirit Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Spirit Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spirit Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spirit Lake?
- Spirit 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 Spirit 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 Burnett County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
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Where this data comes from
27 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX27 samples · 2020–2024
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
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