Leota Lake
Rock County, Wisconsin36 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Leota Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Rusty Crayfish
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Leota Lake in Rock County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 36 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Leota Lake. DNR survey details →
Leota Lake is a 36-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rock County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Rock County, Leota Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Leota Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing3 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.
Based on E. coli testing, Leota Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 9 samples across 9 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Wisconsin’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Leota 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 Leota Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Leota Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 77 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 77µg/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. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Leota Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Leota Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leota Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 2012. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
36 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Leota Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Leota Lake in Rock 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 Leota Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Leota Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Leota 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.39 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Leota Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Leota (completed 1950), built primarily for recreation on the ALLEN CREEK; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 520 ft long.
- Surface area
- 41 ac
- Normal storage
- 220 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Evansville
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00811 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Leota 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 WI10009847 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Leota Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Embarrass Wastewater TreatmentEvansville · 1.4 mi away · NPDES WI0023949Recent violation
- Evansville Wastewater Treatment FacilityEvansville · 1.7 mi away · NPDES WI0023957Recent violation
- Larson Acres, Inc.Evansville · 4.4 mi away · NPDES WI0059412Recent violation
- Brooklyn Wastewater Treatment FacilityBrooklyn · 4.6 mi away · NPDES WI0023485Recent 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 Rock County
Frequently asked questions about Leota Lake
Where is Leota Lake?
- Leota Lake is a lake in Rock County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Leota Lake?
- Leota Lake in Rock County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 36 acres.
Is Leota Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Leota Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 9 samples across 9 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Leota Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Wisconsin's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
How deep is Leota Lake?
- Leota Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 36 acres.
What fish are in Leota Lake?
- Fish species found in Leota Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Leota Lake is located in Rock County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Leota Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Leota Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leota Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Leota Lake?
- Public access to Leota Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Leota Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX46 samples · 2020–2025
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