Lake Montello
Marquette County, Wisconsin341 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Montello. Here is what has been measured.
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Montello in Marquette County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 341 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lake Montello. DNR survey details →
Lake Montello is a 341-acre lake in Marquette County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2021-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Montello covers about 340 acres in Marquette County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Montello, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Montello is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Montello 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 Lake Montello
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lake Montello, 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 6.1 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.1ft | 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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Montello
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lake Montello.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Montello’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. 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. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2021).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lake Montello 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).
- 2024Montello Lake spring shocking survey, 2024Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
341 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
147 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
784 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Dam SitePublic
- MontelloPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Montello
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Montello in Marquette 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 Lake Montello
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 →
Follow Lake Montello’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Montello
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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Montello is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Buffalo Lake Dam (completed 1922) on the FOX; gravity-type dam, 13 ft tall and 2,800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,210 ac
- Normal storage
- 10,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 19,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 398 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01015 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Montello under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Montello Wastewater Treatment FacilityMontello · 1.2 mi away · NPDES WI0024813Recent 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 Marquette County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Montello
Where is Lake Montello?
- Lake Montello is a lake in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Montello?
- Lake Montello in Marquette County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 341 acres.
Is Lake Montello safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Montello?
- Lake Montello has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 341 acres.
What fish are in Lake Montello?
- Fish species found in Lake Montello include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Lake Montello is located in Marquette County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lake Montello?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lake Montello. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Montello’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Montello?
- Lake Montello has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dam Site, Montello. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Montello?
- Lake Montello has 2 documented boat landings 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 Lake Montello across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Marquette County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Wisconsin
Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX5 samples · 2021
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
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