Native fish include Bluegill, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Rainbow Smelt, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker and Yellow Perch.

On its shores are two historic resorts with original hand-scribed log cabins, both built in the early 1900s and operating continuously since then: Burntside Lodge (1913) and Camp Van Vac (1918).

[3] The YMCA's Camp Widjiwagan is also located on the lake's shore.

Burntside Lake's more than 100 islands include Beach; Bear; Berry; Blueberry; Brownell; Burnt; Burntside Islands; Gem; Dollar; Evans; Good Dog; Half Dollar; Honeymoon; Indian; Lockhart; Long; Lost Girl; Miller; Oliver; Picnic; Porkchop; Ripple; Snake; State; Sumpter; Waters; and many more.

Long Island was recently acquired by the Trust for Public Land.