Beaver Dam Lake
Dodge County, Wisconsin6,542 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Beaver Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Beaver Dam Lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 230.5 µg/L. Surface area: 6542 acres.
Beaver Dam Lake is a 6,542-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Dodge County, Beaver Dam Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 6,500 acres, Beaver Dam Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Beaver Dam Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Beaver Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water6,542 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Beaver Dam Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Beaver Dam Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Beaver Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 230.5 µg/L. TSI 80.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 231µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 80 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Beaver Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Beaver Dam Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2021Beaver Dam Lake comprehensive survey, 2021Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2021 (PDF)
Lake Details
Surface area
6,542 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Beaver Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Hickory BayPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Beaver Dam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beaver Dam Lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Beaver Dam Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Beaver Dam Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Beaver Dam Lake → · more Wisconsin lake trips
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Fishing Beaver Dam Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+2.86 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Beaver Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Upper Beaver Dam (completed 1840), built primarily for recreation on the BEAVER DAM RIVER; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 6,542 ac
- Normal storage
- 30,677 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 57,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 157 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City Of Beaver Dam
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00119 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Dodge County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Dam Lake
Where is Beaver Dam Lake?
- Beaver Dam Lake is a lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Beaver Dam Lake?
- Beaver Dam Lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 230.5 µg/L. Surface area: 6542 acres.
Is Beaver Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Beaver Dam Lake?
- Beaver Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hickory Bay. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Beaver Dam Lake?
- Beaver Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Beaver Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
146 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX146 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory