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LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Dane County Lake Quality

Wisconsin, 35 lakes, measured by Wisconsin DNR

There are 35 monitored lakes in Dane County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 15 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Phosphorus and algae readings vary widely across Dane County; the per-lake pages below carry the numbers.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow, under 50 feet, which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Lake Waubesa has the lowest nutrient and algae readings in the county.

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Where to stay near Dane County

Top-rated places to stay near Dane County

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Quick Answers for Dane County

Cleanest lakes in Dane County →Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin →Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Waubesa, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Wisconsin regulations index.

Fishing in Dane County

Dane County Fishing Guide

Fish species and the cleanest lakes in Dane County

DNR Reports (8)

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Survey resources for lakes in Dane County. browse all reports →

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

All Lakes in Dane County

35 lakes · 15 ranked on readings, 20 without enough sampling15 lakes ranked on readings · 20 without enough sampling, hidden

#LakeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicMax DepthAccess
1Lake WaubesaDane3.2 ft36.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples38 ft✓ Public
2Lake WingraDane4 ft33.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples14 ft✓ Public
3Meister Addition West PondDaneNo recent samples46.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
4Rice LakeDane1.5 ft217 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples8 ftNot recorded
5Indian LakeDane0.7 ft295 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
6Lake KegonsaDane3.7 ft59.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples32 ft✓ Public
7Odana PondDane1 ft315.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ftNot recorded
8Lake MononaDane7 ft98.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
9Lake MendotaDane5 ft65.4 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples83 ft✓ Public
10Investment Court PondDaneNo recent samples428 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
11Whalen Road PondDaneNo recent samples66.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
12American Way PondDaneNo recent samples64.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
13Silent Street PondDaneNo recent samples508 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
14Prairie Oaks PondDaneNo recent samples350.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
15Cathedral Point PondDaneNo recent samples248 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Private PondDane2.8 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Tiedman PondDane0.4 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Salmo PondDane9.2 ftNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples15 ftNot recorded
Gateway PondDaneNo recent samples319.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Hawthorne Hills South PondDaneNo recent samples191 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Graber PondDaneNo recent samples231 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Mud LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples8 ftNot recorded
Goose LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Mud LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples5 ft✓ Public
Fish LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples62 ft✓ Public
Crystal LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ft✓ Public
Indian LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples6 ft✓ Public
Brandenburg LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples6 ftNot recorded
Lake HarriettDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples12 ftNot recorded
Lake BarneyDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Grass LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples9 ftNot recorded
Lake MononaDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples73.8 ft✓ Public
Mud LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Bass LakeDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples10 ftNot recorded
Lake Belle ViewDaneNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples3 ft✓ Public

NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.

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Other Counties in Wisconsin

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Marinette County

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Browse every Wisconsin lake, or the full directory of lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..

Source: the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. See data sources.