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Wisconsin›Clearest lakes›Dane County

WI · ranked by public data

Clearest Lakes in Dane County, Wisconsin, Ranked

2 Dane County lakes are at least 50 acres with a current DNR water-clarity reading, out of 54 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.

  1. 18.3 ft
    3,359 acres

    Dane County, WI

    Lake Monona

    enhancedDepth mapDNR impairmentWater data
    43.07, -89.363,359 acres | 74 ft max5 public access pointsPanfish, Largemouth Bass

    8.3 ft water clarity (Jun 2026) · 3,359 acres, 74 ft max depth · 5 public landings · DNR impairment listed

  2. 24.5 ft
    9,781 acres

    Dane County, WI

    Lake Mendota

    enhancedDepth mapShore accessDNR impairmentWater data
    43.11, -89.419,781 acres | 83 ft max12 public access pointsPanfish, Catfish

    4.5 ft water clarity (Aug 2022) · 9,781 acres, 83 ft max depth · 12 public landings · DNR impairment listed

Methodology

How this list is built

  • Ranked by the most recent documented Secchi disk reading (feet of visibility) from DNR/CLMN monitoring.
  • Readings older than 10 years are excluded — a decades-old reading no longer says anything about today's water.
  • Lakes under 50 acres — or without documented acreage — are excluded from rankings.
  • Readings deeper than the lake's own documented maximum depth are treated as source-data errors and excluded.
  • Clarity swings with season and weather, so the reading date is shown for every lake.
  • Only monitored lakes can rank. A clear lake nobody measures cannot appear here — this list rewards documentation as much as clarity.

FAQ

Dane County lake records

What is the clearest lake in Dane County?

Lake Monona — By most recent Secchi reading, Lake Monona in Dane County is the clearest monitored lake in Dane County, with 8.3 feet of visibility.

Clearest lakes statewideDeepest lakes in Dane CountyBiggest lakes in Dane CountyLakes with the most public access in Dane CountyAll Dane County lakes

Source data: Wisconsin DNR lake and monitoring records as aggregated by LakeList. Figures reflect the most recent documented values, not new surveys, and conditions change — verify access and rules before you go.Lake outlines are shoreline shapes from LakeList and the USGS National Hydrography Dataset; they illustrate a lake's form and are not depth or navigation charts.