Columbia County Lake Quality
Wisconsin, 10 lakes, average grade D (Poor)
Columbia County has 10 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. On average, Columbia County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Silver Lake (B); the most-stressed is Lake (F).
Quick Answers for Columbia County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Silver Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.
DNR Reports (12)
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Columbia County. browse all reports →
- 2025Lake Wisconsin fall shocking survey, 2025Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2024Lazy Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2024Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
- 2023Lake Wisconsin comprehensive fisheries survey, 2023Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
- 2023Lake Wisconsin/Wisconsin River creel survey, 2023Creel Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
- 2021Baraboo River hoop net survey, 2021Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
- 2021Comprehensive fishery survey of Park Lake, 2021Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
- 2018Swan and Spring lakes comprehensive survey 2018Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2018 (PDF)
- 2017Lake Wisconsin comprehensive survey 2017Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
- 2013Lake Wisconsin/Lower Wisconsin River lake sturgeon 2013Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2013 (PDF)
- 2012Lake Wisconsin comprehensive survey 2012Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2012 (PDF)
- 2011Park Lake comprehensive survey 2011Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2011 (PDF)
- 2011Spring Lake comprehensive survey 2011Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2011 (PDF)
All Lakes in Columbia County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Max Depth | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silver Lake | B | 10 ft | 42 ft | 32.2 µg/L |
| 2 | Silver Lake West Basin | B | 8.8 ft | 42 ft | 23.2 µg/L |
| 3 | Swan Lake | D | 4.8 ft | 82 ft | - |
| 4 | Park Lake | D | - | - | 82.4 µg/L |
| 5 | Wyona Lake | D | - | 12 ft | 86.1 µg/L |
| 6 | Spring Lake | D | 2 ft | 32 ft | 83.3 µg/L |
| 7 | Lazy Lake | D | 4 ft | 8 ft | 269 µg/L |
| 8 | Lake | F | 2.5 ft | 24 ft | - |
| 9 | Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade | F | 2 ft | 24 ft | - |
| 10 | Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co. | F | 2.2 ft | 24 ft | - |
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.