How Many Lakes Are in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has approximately 15,074 lakes — more than Minnesota — though the state rarely advertises the count. Of these, 1,522 are graded on LakeQuality (the actively monitored set). Wisconsin's lakes range from Lake Winnebago (137,708 acres) down to thousands of small kettle lakes throughout the Northwoods.
Wisconsin lake counts in context
The Wisconsin DNR's commonly-cited figure is 15,074 lakes. Definitions vary: some counts use a 5-acre threshold, others 10 acres, others count every named water body regardless of size. Roughly 1,500 are part of the WI DNR's active water quality monitoring network.
Vilas County alone has over 1,300 lakes — more than many entire states. The Northwoods region (Vilas, Oneida, Forest, Iron Counties) is the densest concentration of lakes in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin vs Minnesota
Wisconsin has more lakes by raw count (~15,074 vs ~11,842) but Minnesota has more large monitored lakes and more total lake surface area. Wisconsin's lakes are on average smaller and shallower; Minnesota's are on average larger and deeper. Both states have outstanding water quality on average — see our <a href="/answer/are-mn-lakes-cleaner-than-wi">direct comparison</a>.