Best Lakes Near Madison, WI
50 lakes within 50 miles of Madison ranked by water quality grade.
Within reasonable driving distance of Madison sit 50 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
The lakes below are sorted by composite LakeGrade rubric score. If you have a specific activity in mind — swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing — the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.
| Lake | Distance | County | Grade | Depth | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmo Pond | 15 mi | Dane | A | - | 3 |
| Stewart Lake | 17.5 mi | Dane | A | 12 ft | 3 |
| Hope Lake | 21.4 mi | Jefferson | A | 24 ft | 3 |
| Rock Lake | 23.7 mi | Jefferson | A | 60 ft | 5 |
| Clear Lake | 28.7 mi | Rock | A | - | 0 |
| Devils Lake | 29 mi | Sauk | A | 47 ft | 6 |
| Rock River Lake | 32.4 mi | Rock | A | - | 0 |
| Swan Lake | 32.6 mi | Columbia | A | 82 ft | 5 |
| Hidden Valley Lake 1 | 35.5 mi | Lafayette | A | - | 0 |
| Buckhorn Lake | 38.2 mi | Sauk | A | - | 0 |
| Turtle Lake | 43.6 mi | Walworth | A | 30 ft | 3 |
| Golden Lake | 43.8 mi | Waukesha | A | 44 ft | 4 |
| Black Hawk Lake | 44.6 mi | Iowa | A | 42 ft | 4 |
| Lac la Belle Lake | 44.8 mi | Waukesha | A | 45 ft | 5 |
| Fowler Lake | 45.9 mi | Waukesha | A | 50 ft | 4 |
| Silver Lake | 46.1 mi | Waukesha | A | 40 ft | 3 |
| Pretty Lake | 46.4 mi | Waukesha | A | 31 ft | 3 |
| Green Lake | 46.7 mi | Walworth | A | 57 ft | 4 |
| Middle Lake | 47.1 mi | Walworth | A | 40 ft | 4 |
| Pleasant Lake | 47.2 mi | Walworth | A | 29 ft | 4 |
| Upper Genesee Lake | 47.2 mi | Waukesha | A | - | 3 |
| Mill Lake | 47.3 mi | Walworth | A | 40 ft | 4 |
| Ashippun Lake | 47.3 mi | Waukesha | A | 35 ft | 4 |
| Ottawa Lake | 47.4 mi | Waukesha | A | - | 4 |
| Oconomowoc Lake | 47.5 mi | Waukesha | A | 60 ft | 5 |
| Crooked Lake | 47.8 mi | Waukesha | A | 16 ft | 3 |
| Hunters Lake | 47.9 mi | Waukesha | A | 36 ft | 3 |
| Jordan Lake | 47.9 mi | Adams | A | 92 ft | 5 |
| Jordan Lake | 47.9 mi | Adams | A | 92 ft | 5 |
| Lake Wandawega | 48 mi | Walworth | A | - | 3 |
| Okauchee Lake | 48.3 mi | Waukesha | A | 90 ft | 6 |
| Peters Lake | 48.3 mi | Walworth | A | - | 3 |
| Oconomowoc Lake Site | 48.6 mi | Waukesha | A | 60 ft | 5 |
| Swift Lake | 48.6 mi | Walworth | A | - | 0 |
| Lower Nemahbin Lake | 48.8 mi | Waukesha | A | - | 0 |
| Okauchee Lake-Site No. 4-at Okauchee | 48.8 mi | Waukesha | A | 90 ft | 6 |
| Lower Nashotah Lake | 48.9 mi | Waukesha | A | 43 ft | 6 |
| Upper Nemahbin Lake | 49 mi | Waukesha | A | 60 ft | 5 |
| Crooked Lake | 49.2 mi | Adams | A | 56 ft | 3 |
| Okauchee Lake-Site No. 3-at Okauchee | 49.4 mi | Waukesha | A | 90 ft | 6 |
| Parker Lake | 49.9 mi | Adams | A | 36 ft | 3 |
| Lake Ripley | 21.2 mi | Jefferson | A | 44 ft | 4 |
| Silver Lake West Basin | 33.3 mi | Columbia | A | 42 ft | 5 |
| White Mound Lake | 39.9 mi | Sauk | A | 16 ft | 3 |
| Cruson Slough Lake | 43.1 mi | Richland | A | - | 0 |
| Blue Spring Lake | 43.2 mi | Jefferson | A | 27 ft | 3 |
| School Section Lake | 45.8 mi | Waukesha | A | - | 3 |
| Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 | 47.5 mi | Waukesha | A | 60 ft | 5 |
| Williams Lake | 47.7 mi | Marquette | A | - | 0 |
| Oconomowoc Lake 2 | 48.6 mi | Waukesha | A | 60 ft | 5 |
Lakes Near Other Cities
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lakes are near Madison?
There are 50 graded lakes within 50 miles of Madison, Wisconsin. 50 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).
What are the best lakes near Madison for fishing?
42 lakes near Madison have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 16 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.