Ward Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Ward Lake pulls an A: clarity readings still being added and 17 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI near 45 places Ward Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Ward Lake reaches 21 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 17 acres, Ward Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Burnett County's 57 graded waters, Ward Lake sits at rank 2, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ward Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 2, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.