Lazy Lake
Columbia County, Wisconsin161 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lazy Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
Lazy Lake in Columbia County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 269 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 161 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lazy Lake. DNR survey details →
Lazy Lake is a 161-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Columbia County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Columbia County, Lazy Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lazy Lake covers about 160 acres in Columbia County. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lazy Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lazy Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Lazy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lazy 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 Lazy Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lazy 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 269 µg/L. TSI 71.
| 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 | 269µg/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. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lazy Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lazy Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lazy Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2023).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lazy 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).
- 2024Lazy Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2024Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2024 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
161 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Brayton BoulevardPublic
- Lazy Point RoadPublic
- Sleepy Hollow RoadPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lazy Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lazy Lake in Columbia 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 Lazy Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lazy 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 →
Follow Lazy Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lazy 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 readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+83.75 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lazy Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fall River (completed 1859), built primarily for recreation on the North Branch Crawfish River; gravity-type dam, 17 ft tall and 300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 161 ac
- Normal storage
- 578 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 76 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Village of Fall River
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00115 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lazy Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10010053 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lazy Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Fall River WwtfFall River · 1.4 mi away · NPDES WI0023973
- Wi Academy Wastewater Treatment FacilityColumbus · 3.3 mi away · NPDES WI0029611
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 Columbia County
Frequently asked questions about Lazy Lake
Where is Lazy Lake?
- Lazy Lake is a lake in Columbia County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lazy Lake?
- Lazy Lake in Columbia County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 269 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 161 acres.
Is Lazy Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lazy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lazy Lake?
- Lazy Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 161 acres.
What fish are in Lazy Lake?
- Fish species found in Lazy Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Lazy Lake is located in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lazy Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lazy Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lazy Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Lazy Lake?
- Lazy Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Brayton Boulevard, Lazy Point Road, Sleepy Hollow Road. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lazy Lake?
- Lazy Lake has 3 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 Lazy Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX35 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory