Prairie Oaks Pond
Dane County, WisconsinView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Prairie Oaks Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Limited data
Prairie Oaks Pond in Dane County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 350.5 µg/L.
Prairie Oaks Pond is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dane County, Wisconsin. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Dane County, Prairie Oaks Pond ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2021-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Prairie Oaks Pond 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 Prairie Oaks Pond
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Prairie Oaks Pond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 350.5 µg/L. TSI 89.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 351µg/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. | 89 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Prairie Oaks Pond
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Stays near Prairie Oaks Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Prairie Oaks 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Prairie Oaks Pond are listed below.
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Fishing Prairie Oaks Pond
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-132 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Dane County
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Oaks Pond
Where is Prairie Oaks Pond?
- Prairie Oaks Pond is a lake in Dane County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Prairie Oaks Pond?
- Prairie Oaks Pond in Dane County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 350.5 µg/L.
Is Prairie Oaks Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX7 samples · 2020–2021
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.