Fountain Lake
Portage County, Wisconsin16 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Fountain Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fountain Lake in Portage County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 16 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Fountain Lake. DNR survey details →
Fountain Lake is a 16-acre lake in Portage County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fountain Lake covers about 16 acres in Portage County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fountain Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fountain Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fountain 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 Fountain Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Fountain Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Fountain Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fountain Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 48 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fountain Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Fountain Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 2011. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2026).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
16 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Fountain LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fountain Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fountain Lake in Portage 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Fountain Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Fountain Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fountain Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2022–2026).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fountain Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fountain Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the EMMONS CREEK; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 50 ft long.
- Surface area
- 16 ac
- Normal storage
- 75 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 120 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01101 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Portage County
Frequently asked questions about Fountain Lake
Where is Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake is a lake in Portage County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake in Portage County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 16 acres.
Is Fountain Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 48 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 16 acres.
What fish are in Fountain Lake?
- Fish species found in Fountain Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Fountain Lake is located in Portage County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fountain Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Fountain Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fountain Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fountain Lake?
- Fountain 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 Fountain Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX10 samples · 2022–2026
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory