Prairie Lake (Barron County)

Waterbody ID (WBIC): 2094100 — permanent page /lakes/2094100/.

Prairie Lake is in Barron County; records show 1,408 acres and 8 DNR access-site records.

Size

1,408 acres

Lake type

DRAINAGE

Max depth

16 ft

Mean depth

9 ft

• 8 documented public access site records (DNR access inventory)
• 5 fish species/groups with abundance categories (DNR lake page)
• Fish stocking documented through 2023 (DNR stocking records)
• Summer Secchi clarity median 1.7 ft (field measurements)
• Official DNR depth map available (PDF)

Back to results Show on map Choose access / Directions Depth map (PDF) Check current DNR regulations

Plan your visit

• Lake directory: public landing — Yes
• Lake directory: public beach — No
• Lake directory: public park — Yes
• DNR public-access inventory: 8 documented access site records
• DNR public-access inventory: documented developed boat ramp
• DNR public-access inventory: documented carry-in access
• 8 sites qualify for per-site Directions through the reviewed lake association (load the site details below)

Each statement is bounded to its named source; absence of a record is never evidence of no access. The DNR access database may lag reality; posted signs at the landing are authoritative.

Verify at the DNR public boat access program page.

Fishing

The DNR lake page publishes 5 fish species/groups with abundance categories — categories are source labels, never a population count.

DNR fish labels: Largemouth Bass—Common; Northern Pike—Common; Panfish—Common; not population counts.

Stocking records: 38 documented events through 2023, 19,217,059 fish total. Species: Walleye (Frequent), Largemouth Bass (Historic). Events in 2015 or later count as recent.

Fisheries survey population estimates are published for this lake; survey estimates are historical point-in-time studies and are never compared or ranked here.

Fishing limits — 2026-2027 season: 17 normalized rows across 17 species entries. Normalized from the DNR ruleset retrieved 2026-08-04. Source text remains authoritative.

2026-2027 retained fishing rules: 17 published rows for 17 species; effective through 2027-03-07. Check current DNR rules.

Water and setting

• Field-measured summer Secchi clarity: median 1.7 ft from 30 samples, latest sample 2025-08-27
• Satellite clarity estimate: 3.32 ft (2017) — a remote-sensing estimate, kept separate from field measurements

Official DNR depth map — sheet 1 (PDF) Official DNR depth map — sheet 2 (PDF) Official DNR depth map — sheet 3 (PDF) — Historical lake map; not for navigation. Link checked 2026-07-16.

• AIS record: Banded mystery snail — Verified, latest documented 2012-08-22
• AIS record: Chinese mystery snail — Verified, latest documented 2009-12-31
• AIS record: Curly-leaf pondweed — Verified (vouchered), latest documented 2009-06-09
• AIS record: Purple loosestrife — Verified, latest documented 2012-08-22

Occurrence records come from a non-exhaustive DNR inventory; a record documents presence at observation time and a missing record is never evidence of absence.

• Public-land proximity (GIS proxy, not access evidence): mapped public land within 1,000 ft; nearest: Statewide Public Access (Wisconsin DNR); ≈3.2% of shoreline buffer
• Shoreline development (landcover proxy, 2025 source): ≈32.6% developed land within 300 m, ≈6.6% impervious
• Road proximity (TIGER proxy, 2025 source): nearest local road or city street ≈0 m; ≈4.7 km of road per km² within 1 km

Data & sources

Published data families

• Fish species and abundance (DNR lake pages)
• Fish stocking history
• Fishing regulations (normalized snapshot)
• Directory access facts (landing, beach, park)
• Public access site inventory
• Satellite water clarity estimate
• Field-measured Secchi clarity
• Fisheries survey population estimates
• Aquatic invasive species occurrences

Original records: Wisconsin DNR lake page.

Missing values are unpublished, never zero; each fact above is bounded to its named source and date. Full sourcing detail: Data & methods.