Yellow Lake

Yellow Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Yellow Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 31 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 2,283 acres, Yellow Lake is one of the larger lakes in Burnett County, with partial shoreline records supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within the 70 graded lakes of Burnett County, Yellow Lake sits at rank 55, near the bottom of the county list.

Yellow Lake has at least one documented invasive species (Chinese Mystery Snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Yellow Lake, one of 8 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Yellow 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.