Best Lakes Near Madison, WI, 50 Lakes Within 50 Miles

50 lakes within 50 miles of Madison have nutrient and algae readings on record. Lake Wingra in Dane County leads the set on measured water quality, with about 4 ft of clarity. 44 of the 50 have a recorded public access point.

Within reasonable driving distance of Madison sit 50 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The lakes below are sorted on measured water quality. If you have a specific activity in mind, swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing, the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

With Clarity Readings

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
Lake Wingra	1.8 mi	Dane	4 ft	14 ft	5
Lake Waubesa	6 mi	Dane	3.2 ft	38 ft	7
Lake Ripley	21.2 mi	Jefferson	9 ft	44 ft	4
Red Cedar Lake	21.9 mi	Jefferson	4 ft	6 ft	1
Rock Lake	23.7 mi	Jefferson	12 ft	60 ft	5
Silver Lake	33.3 mi	Columbia	8.8 ft	42 ft	5
Bakkens Pond	37.9 mi	Sauk	2.5 ft	-	0
Whitewater Lake	41.6 mi	Walworth	4 ft	35 ft	4
Blue Spring Lake	43.2 mi	Jefferson	6.2 ft	27 ft	3
Turtle Lake	43.6 mi	Walworth	11 ft	30 ft	3
Golden Lake	43.8 mi	Waukesha	12.8 ft	44 ft	4
Black Hawk Lake	44.6 mi	Iowa	5 ft	42 ft	4
Lac la Belle Lake	44.8 mi	Waukesha	4.8 ft	45 ft	5
School Section Lake	45.8 mi	Waukesha	6.2 ft	8 ft	3
Fowler Lake	45.9 mi	Waukesha	14.5 ft	50 ft	4
Silver Lake	46.1 mi	Waukesha	10 ft	40 ft	3
Pretty Lake	46.4 mi	Waukesha	12.2 ft	31 ft	3
Green Lake	46.7 mi	Walworth	11 ft	57 ft	4
Middle Lake	47.1 mi	Walworth	10 ft	40 ft	4
Pleasant Lake	47.2 mi	Walworth	12 ft	29 ft	4
Ashippun Lake	47.3 mi	Waukesha	10 ft	35 ft	4
Mill Lake	47.3 mi	Walworth	7.5 ft	40 ft	4
Ottawa Lake	47.4 mi	Waukesha	13 ft	16 ft	4
Oconomowoc Lake	47.5 mi	Waukesha	12.5 ft	60 ft	5
Williams Lake	47.7 mi	Marquette	6 ft	-	0
Crooked Lake	47.8 mi	Waukesha	8 ft	16 ft	3
Hunters Lake	47.9 mi	Waukesha	9.5 ft	36 ft	3
Jordan Lake	47.9 mi	Adams	13 ft	92 ft	5
Lower Nashotah Lake	48.9 mi	Waukesha	9 ft	43 ft	6
Lower Nemahbin Lake	48.9 mi	Waukesha	10.9 ft	36 ft	5
Upper Nemahbin Lake	49 mi	Waukesha	12 ft	60 ft	5
Okauchee Lake Site	49.1 mi	Waukesha	4.6 ft	90 ft	6
Crooked Lake	49.2 mi	Adams	9 ft	56 ft	3
Fawn Lake	49.4 mi	Adams	9.5 ft	-	0
Ocauchee Lake	49.4 mi	Waukesha	6.6 ft	90 ft	6
Parker Lake	49.9 mi	Adams	17 ft	36 ft	3
Meister Addition West Pond	9.9 mi	Dane	—	-	0
Clear Lake	28.5 mi	Rock	2.8 ft	12 ft	3
Long Lake	39.7 mi	Sauk	4.1 ft	-	0
White Mound Lake	39.9 mi	Sauk	5.5 ft	16 ft	3
Lake Lorraine	41.1 mi	Walworth	—	8 ft	2
Cruson Slough Lake	43.1 mi	Richland	7.6 ft	-	0
Lake Emily	44 mi	Dodge	3.5 ft	10 ft	4
Lower Spring Lake	44.2 mi	Jefferson	4 ft	-	0
Lake Mendota	2 mi	Dane	5 ft	83 ft	8
Lake Monona	2.7 mi	Dane	7 ft	-	0
Odana Pond	3.8 mi	Dane	1 ft	5 ft	0
Prairie Oaks Pond	8.1 mi	Dane	—	-	0
Silent Street Pond	8.4 mi	Dane	—	-	0
Whalen Road Pond	9.1 mi	Dane	—	-	0

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Cleanest Lakes Near Madison

Lake Wingra

1.8 mi · Dane County · 4 ft clarity

Lake Waubesa

6 mi · Dane County · 3.2 ft clarity

Lake Ripley

21.2 mi · Jefferson County · 9 ft clarity

Red Cedar Lake

21.9 mi · Jefferson County · 4 ft clarity

Rock Lake

23.7 mi · Jefferson County · 12 ft clarity

Silver Lake

33.3 mi · Columbia County · 8.8 ft clarity

Plan a lake trip in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin Lake Trips

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Madison?

There are 50 lakes with water-quality readings on record within 50 miles of Madison, Wisconsin. 44 of them have a recorded public access point and 45 have a clarity reading.

What are the best lakes near Madison for fishing?

38 lakes near Madison have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine favourable water-quality readings with diverse fish populations. 13 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Madison

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Madison — book a place close to the cleanest lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Madison

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.