Friendship Lake
Adams County, Wisconsin125 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Friendship Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Friendship Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 125 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Friendship Lake. DNR survey details →
Friendship Lake is a 125-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Adams County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Adams County, Friendship Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Friendship Lake covers about 130 acres in Adams County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Friendship Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Friendship Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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 Friendship 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 Friendship Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Friendship Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus 31 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31µg/L | Fair 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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Friendship Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Friendship Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 74°F) and coldest in Jun (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Friendship Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Friendship Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Friendship Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 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 1994. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
125 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
71 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
948 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Friendship 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 Friendship Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Friendship Lake in Adams 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 Friendship 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Friendship 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 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.18 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Friendship Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Friendship (completed 1928), built primarily for recreation; gravity-type dam, 22 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 114 ac
- Normal storage
- 681 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 60 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Friendship Lake District
All listed purposes: Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00061 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Friendship Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Adams Wastewater Treatment FacilityFriendship · 1 mi away · NPDES WI0023159Recent violation
- Grande Cheese Co Food IngredieFriendship · 1.3 mi away · NPDES WI0050547Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about Friendship Lake
Where is Friendship Lake?
- Friendship Lake is a lake in Adams County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Friendship Lake?
- Friendship Lake in Adams County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 125 acres.
Is Friendship 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 Friendship Lake?
- Friendship Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Friendship Lake?
- Friendship Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 125 acres.
What fish are in Friendship Lake?
- Fish species found in Friendship Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Friendship Lake is located in Adams County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Friendship Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish and Largemouth Bass as abundant on Friendship Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Friendship Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Friendship Lake?
- Friendship Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Friendship Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Friendship Lake?
- Friendship 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 Friendship Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Adams County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
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Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Wisconsin
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Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 2 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_WQX85 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory