Safest Lakes to Swim Near Madison
Wisconsin
3 lakes within driving distance of Madison, Wisconsin pass our swim-safety screen — grade A/B water, low algae, and public access. 3 have direct bacteria (E. coli) testing on record. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Madison is not lake-dense — only 3 graded lakes are within easy reach. The cleanest of those is Clear Lake (A).
The swimming-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Swim Safety | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear Lake | Rock | A | Bacteria B | 28.7 mi | 37.5 ft | - |
| 2 | Rock Lake | Jefferson | A | Bacteria C | 23.7 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 3 | Lake Ripley | Jefferson | B | Bacteria D | 21.2 mi | 9 ft | 44 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.