Where is Lake Onalaska?

Lake Onalaska is a lake in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Lake Onalaska?

Lake Onalaska has a maximum depth of 40 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 10520 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Onalaska?

Lake Onalaska has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fred Funk, North Shore Lane, Dakota, Dresbach. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Lake Onalaska?

Lake Onalaska has 4 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.

Lake Onalaska

La Crosse County, Wisconsin10,520 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Wisconsin DNR for this lake.

Max depth

40 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

10,520 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

134.2 mi

Measured length

40 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Lake Onalaska in La Crosse County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 10520 acres.

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Lake Onalaska is a 10,520-acre lake in La Crosse County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 40 feet (6-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Lake Onalaska is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch4 documented ramps
Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Big water10,520 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Lake Onalaska 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.

Compare swimming lakes near La Crosse →

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Water quality measurements for Lake Onalaska

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lake Onalaska, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Lake Onalaska

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 Lake Onalaska covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.

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

2020
Mississippi River, Lake Onalaska gamefish assessment, 2020
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2020 (PDF)
2015
An Evaluation of Fishery Trends at the Lake Onalaska Habitat Project, 2015
Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2015 (PDF)

Lake Details

Max depth

40 ft

Average depth

6 ft

Surface area

10,520 acres

Shoreline

134.2 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Fred FunkPublic
North Shore LanePublic
DakotaPublic
DresbachPublic

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 Onalaska

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Onalaska in La Crosse 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 Onalaska

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Follow Lake Onalaska’s readings

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Fishing Lake Onalaska

→ Lake Onalaska fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Nearby Lakes in La Crosse County

Van Loon Lake7.9 miView →Neshonoc Lake0.4 ft clear11.9 miView →Neshonoc Lake12.9 miView →Marinuka Lake11.6 miView →Lake Henry—View →Waller Lakes—View →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Onalaska

Where is Lake Onalaska?: Lake Onalaska is a lake in La Crosse 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 Onalaska?: Lake Onalaska in La Crosse County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 10520 acres.
Is Lake Onalaska safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Onalaska?: Lake Onalaska has a maximum depth of 40 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 10520 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Onalaska?: Lake Onalaska has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fred Funk, North Shore Lane, Dakota, Dresbach. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Onalaska?: Lake Onalaska has 4 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.