Lake Mendota
Dane County, Wisconsin · WBIC 805400
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
9,842 acres
Max depth
82 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
4.5 ft
Low, measured Aug 2022
A deep lake type that can hold a cold layer below the warm surface in summer. 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 1983), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
4.5 ft Secchi depthLow
Last measured Aug 12, 2022. 49 readings on record, 1995 to 2022.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 6 ft, moderate, from 44 readings (2016 to 2022).
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 Mendota - Central Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 12 (Apr 1 to Apr 18)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 9 (Apr 28 to May 12)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 30 (May 28 to Jun 6)
- June surface73°F, usually 71 to 75°F
- July surface81°F, usually 79 to 81°F
- August surface77°F, usually 75 to 79°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 24, lasting about 148 days.
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
- Walleyelast stocked 2024 (large fingerling and small fingerling); stocked in 8 years since 2010
- Northern Pikelast stocked 2016 (large fingerling); stocked in 4 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
- Banded Killifish Fundulus diaphanus1961 to 1968; 7 records
- Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus2023 to 2025; 2 records
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas1977 to 2004; 9 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1947 to 2024; 30 records
- Blackchin Shiner Notropis heterodon1964; 2 records
- Blackfin Cisco Coregonus nigripinnis1 record
- Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus notatus1 record
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1947 to 2025; 50 records
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus1948 to 2024; 10 records
- Bowfin Amia calva1978; 3 records
- Brassy Minnow Hybognathus hankinsoni1964; 1 record
- Brook Silverside Labidesthes sicculus1946 to 2006; 9 records
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus1968 to 2005; 6 records
- Brown Trout Salmo trutta2007; 1 record
- Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus1978 to 2026; 7 records
- Cisco Coregonus artedi1914 to 1931; 2 records
- Common Carp Cyprinus carpio1964 to 2025; 26 records
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1964; 1 record
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas1964 to 2006; 3 records
- Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens1961 to 2023; 13 records
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1964 to 2025; 5 records
- Goldfish Carassius auratus2025; 1 record
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus1964 to 2024; 8 records
- Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus1964; 1 record
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile1853 to 2004; 4 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1961 to 2004; 4 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1947 to 2007; 43 records
- Logperch Percina caprodes1964 to 2007; 11 records
- Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus1985 to 2001; 2 records
- Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii1850; 1 record
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy1999 to 2002; 2 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1947 to 2007; 29 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1947 to 2026; 26 records
- Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss2002 to 2006; 2 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1947 to 2020; 32 records
- Sauger Sander canadensis2002; 1 record
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1947 to 2007; 30 records
- Spotfin Shiner Cyprinella spiloptera2005; 1 record
- Walleye Sander vitreus1947 to 2007; 36 records
- White Bass Morone chrysops1947 to 2026; 18 records
- White Catfish Ameiurus catus1853; 1 record
- White Crappie Pomoxis annularis1947 to 2006; 12 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1947 to 2007; 10 records
- Yellow Bass Morone mississippiensis1978 to 2006; 8 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1977 to 2022; 8 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1947 to 2022; 35 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
- 1Governor Nelson State Park Boat LandingBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · State(dnr)
Directions - 2Middleton Boat RampCarry-in access · Accessible features · City
Directions - 3Mendota County Park Boat LaunchBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · County
Directions - 4Marshall Park Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · City
Directions - 5Tenney Park Boat RampBoat ramp · Paved surface · Accessible features · City
Directions - 6Spring Harbor Park Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete surface · City
Directions - 7Willow Drive Boat LaunchBoat ramp · Concrete surface · City
Directions - 8Governors IslandCarry-in access · Unimproved surface · State
Directions - 9Lake Street Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete surface · City
Directions - 10Veith Avenue Carry-In AccessCarry-in access · Unimproved surface · State(dnr)
Directions - 11Warner Park Boat RampBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · City
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fishing from shore
- GOVERNOR NELSON STATE PARK FISHING PIERDirections · DNR details
Wisconsin DNR shore fishing sites. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Water level and flow
- LAKE MENDOTA AT MADISON, WIGage height, Lake or reservoir elevation (NGVD 1929), Lake or reservoir elevation (NAVD 1988)
U.S. Geological Survey gauges at or beside this lake. Readings are provisional and fetched when you open the page.
More lakes in Dane County
- Lake Wingra3.9 miles away
- Lake Monona4.4 miles away
- Upper Mud Lake7.4 miles away
- Windsor Lake7.7 miles away
- Goose Lake8.2 miles away
- Morse Pond8.3 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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