Odana Pond
Odana Pond in Dane County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 315.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 14 acres.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Max depth
- 5 ft
- Area
- 14 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Odana Pond →
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Odana Pond is a 14-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dane County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 5 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Dane County, Odana Pond ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Odana Pond water quality
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Odana Pond Water Quality Report Card (2026)
A printable one-page report card for Odana Pond: grade, clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 315.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 82.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 315.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 82 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Odana Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Odana Pond in Dane 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Odana Pond are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Odana Pond
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 5:20 AM from gauge 430245089273701 (Odana Golf Course East Pond Outlet at Madison, WI). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 2007. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 5 ft |
| Surface Area | 14 acres |
Fishing Odana Pond
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.003 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -2.57 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Odana Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10022173 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.12 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 15 lakes in Dane County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Odana Pond holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Dane County
Frequently asked questions about Odana Pond
Where is Odana Pond?
- Odana Pond is a lake in Dane County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Odana Pond?
- Odana Pond in Dane County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 315.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 14 acres.
Is Odana Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Odana Pond has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Odana Pond?
- Odana Pond has a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 14 acres.
What is the water level at Odana Pond?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Odana Pond is 0.51 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 5:20 AM at gauge 430245089273701. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Explore Odana Pond across LakeQuality
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Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
44 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_WQX44 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes