Wisconsin Lake Finder

Prairie Lake

Prairie Lake is a 1,408-acre lake in Barron County, Wisconsin, up to 16 feet deep, with 639 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has 5 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore.

• Size: 1,408 acres
• Deepest point: 16 ft
• Average depth: 9 ft
• Bottom: 75% sand, 20% muck, 5% gravel
• Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
• Public access: 5 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore
• Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
• Local boating ordinances on record: slow-no-wake areas
• Drive time without traffic: Eau Claire 50 min, Twin Cities 1 hr 55 min, Madison 3 hr 25 min, Green Bay 3 hr 30 min, Appleton 3 hr 35 min, Waukesha 4 hr 5 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 15 min, Rockford 4 hr 20 min, Chicago 5 hr 20 min
• Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Purple Loosestrife
• Waterfront parcels: 639 waterfront parcels

Questions about Prairie Lake

How many waterfront properties are on Prairie Lake?

639 waterfront parcels front Prairie Lake in Barron County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.

How big is Prairie Lake?

Prairie Lake covers 1,408 acres in Barron County, Wisconsin.

How deep is Prairie Lake?

Prairie Lake is 16 feet deep at its deepest point, and 9 feet deep on average.

What fish are in Prairie Lake?

The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Prairie Lake.

Is there public access to Prairie Lake?

Yes. Prairie Lake has 5 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore.

Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Prairie Lake?

Prairie Lake is over 50 acres, so Wisconsin's slow-no-wake rule for small lakes does not apply and boats may run at speed, staying slow within 100 feet of shore, docks and swimmers. Local ordinances on record include slow-no-wake areas; the ordinance itself says which part of the lake or the day each covers.

How long is the drive to Prairie Lake?

By car, Prairie Lake is about 50 min from Eau Claire, 1 hr 55 min from the Twin Cities, 3 hr 25 min from Madison and 5 hr 20 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.

What is the bottom of Prairie Lake like?

The lake bottom is 75% sand, 20% muck, 5% gravel, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.