Lake Wisconsin
Columbia County, Wisconsin · WBIC 1260600
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
9,000 acres
Max depth
24 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Riverine
Water clarity
3 ft
Low, measured Aug 2026
A river-like water type, with flow instead of a still basin. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1975), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
3 ft Secchi depthLow
Last measured Aug 22, 2026. 28 readings on record, 2014 to 2026.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 2 ft, low, from 22 readings (2014 to 2026).
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.
Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station Lake Wisconsin - SW of Weigand's Bay - Off Pier. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 10 (Apr 4 to Apr 20)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 23 (Apr 16 to May 1)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 25 (May 16 to May 27)
- June surface73°F, usually 73 to 75°F
- July surface80°F, usually 78 to 81°F
- August surface77°F, usually 74 to 78°F
Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Stocking history
- Starhead Topminnowlast stocked 2025 (adult and yearling); stocked in 4 years since 2010
- Muskellungelast stocked 2022 (large fingerling and small fingerling); stocked in 7 years since 2010
Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.
Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus1 record
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1927; 1 record
- Brook Silverside Labidesthes sicculus1927; 1 record
- Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans1927; 1 record
- Chestnut Lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus1933; 1 record
- Common Carp Cyprinus carpio2024; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1927; 1 record
- Fantail Darter Etheostoma flabellare1927; 1 record
- Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum2024; 3 records
- Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas2024; 1 record
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile1927; 1 record
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1927; 1 record
- Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii1927; 1 record
- Paddlefish Polyodon spathula2024; 1 record
- Quillback Carpiodes cyprinus1 record
- Sauger Sander canadensis2013; 1 record
- Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum1 record
- Silver Lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis1988; 1 record
- Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus1947; 1 record
- Spotfin Shiner Cyprinella spiloptera1927; 1 record
- Spotted Sucker Minytrema melanops1 record
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1927 to 1947; 2 records
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1West Point Public Boat LandingBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Township
Directions - 2Lake Wisconsin Access Corning St. Boat LaunchBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Township
Directions - 3Whalen Grade LandingBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · State(dnr)
Directions - 4Lake WisconsinBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · Township
Directions - 5Harmony Drive W. Boat LaunchBoat ramp · Concrete Plank surface · Township
Directions - 6Pine Bluff AccessBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · Township
Directions - 7West Point Public Boat LandingBoat ramp · Concrete Plank surface · Township
Directions - 8Lake Wisconsin Boat Access - Sunset Bay LandingBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · State(dnr)
Directions - 9Lake WisconsinBoat ramp · Concrete Plank surface · Township
Directions - 10Lake Wisconsin Boat Access - Okee AccessBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · State(dnr)
Directions - 11Eagle Drive Boat LaunchBoat ramp · Concrete Panels surface · Township
Directions - Camp Perry Park Carry-inCarry-in access · Dirt surface · Township
- Lake Wisconsin Access - Linda CircleBoat ramp · Paved surface · Township
- 12Wisconsin River Access (listed under Sauk County)Boat ramp · Paved surface · Village
Directions - 13Summer Oak Cove Landing (listed under Sauk County)Boat ramp · Concrete surface · County
Directions - 14Lake Wisconsin Boat Access - Moon Valley Access (listed under Sauk County)Boat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · State(dnr)
Directions
Some landings are matched to this lake by name only, because the DNR list gives no location for them. They have no pin.
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fishing from shore
- LAKE WISCONSIN FISHING PIER (THE GRADE)Directions · DNR details
- MOON VALLEY FISHING PIERDirections · DNR details
Wisconsin DNR shore fishing sites. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Water level and flow
- LAKE WISCONSIN AT MP-2Gage height
- LAKE WISCONSIN AT MP-3Gage height, Lake or reservoir elevation (NAVD 1988)
- LAKE WISCONSIN AT MP-1Gage height
- LAKE WISCONSIN TRIBUTARY 1 NR PRAIRIE DU SAC, WIDischarge
- LAKE WISCONSIN TRIBUTARY 2 NR PRAIRIE DU SAC, WIDischarge
- LAKE WISCONSIN TRIBUTARY 3 NR PRAIRIE DU SAC, WIDischarge
U.S. Geological Survey gauges at or beside this lake. Readings are provisional and fetched when you open the page.
More lakes in Columbia County
- Ryan Pond3.4 miles away
- Lantz Pond3.6 miles away
- Crystal Lake4.5 miles away
- Lake Columbia13 miles away
- Goose Lake13 miles away
- Long Lake13 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water level and flowU.S. Geological Survey gauges (readings are live), checked Oct 23, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Shore fishing sitesWisconsin DNR shore fishing sites, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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