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Wisconsin›Lafayette County›Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake

Enhanced dataInteractive depth contours
--°FLoading forecastWind pendingHumidity pendingPending fishingForecast
Yellowstone LakeLafayette County, WI
Contours load with map Access
Interactive depth contours5-foot typical interval · Sonar-derived depth (C-MAP Genesis) · Gaps interpolated · Not for navigation
Source: C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived)high confidence · QA passed · Select a contour to inspect its mapped depthDepths decoded from C-MAP Genesis Social Map community sonar recordings (used with permission), covering 75% of the lake. Small gaps between recordings are smoothly connected; larger unrecorded areas follow the lake's depth model calibrated to the DNR-documented 14-ft maximum depth. More accurate than a pure model, but still an estimate. Not for navigation.

LakeList assistant

Plan your lake day

Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Yellowstone Lake.

Start here

Fishing forecast

Best windows for Yellowstone Lake

Weather-based planning built from the National Weather Service hourly forecast near this lake.

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Checking wind, precipitation, and near-term weather windows.

Water temperature

Yellowstone Lake water temperature today

Modeled surface-temperature estimate built from seasonal climate, lake depth, and live National Weather Service air temperatures near this lake.

79°FPeak summer

Seasonal estimate. Checking current National Weather Service air temperatures…

Warmest water of the year. Fish hold deeper or feed in low light; swimming and watersports are at their best.

Warmest monthJuly · ~78°F
Freezing surfaceJanuary – March
Model depth input14 ft max depth
Monthly Yellowstone Lake water temperatures and freeze-up FAQ →

Estimates are modeled, not measured. Actual temperatures vary with depth, wind mixing, and recent weather — verify conditions before swimming, boating, or heading onto ice.

DNR water check

Water quality quick take

From Wisconsin DNR / Citizen Lake Monitoring readings at Yellowstone Lake - Deep Hole Near Dam And Boat Rental.

Sampled Mar 2026

Murky, algae-prone water — summer clarity of 1.3 ft ranks among the lowest of monitored Wisconsin lakes.

Based on July–August volunteer averages from 2024–2025; each value shows its own year.
0 ft815Disk vanishes1.3 ft downJul–Aug 2024 average
82Hypereutrophic5-yr summer TSI
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHyper.

Very nutrient-rich water — heavy algae and plant growth pressure.

Water claritySecchi disk depth
1.3 ftJul–Aug 2024 avg (2 readings)
Murky
Improving — up ~19% vs earlier years

Clearer than 9% of 596 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.

AlgaeChlorophyll-a
157 µg/LJul–Aug 2025 avg (2 readings)
High
Stable since 2017
NutrientsTotal phosphorus — fuels plant & algae growth
139.5 µg/LJul–Aug 2025 avg (2 readings)
High
Improving — down ~22% vs earlier years

High phosphorus points to heavy plant/algae growth pressure.

All readings by year · station details · methodology

Summer averages (July/August)

July/August means; counts in parentheses show how many samples went into each average.

YearSecchiChlorophyll-aTotal phosphorus
20251.5 ft (1)157.0 µg/L (2)139.5 µg/L (2)
20241.3 ft (2)179.5 µg/L (2)134.5 µg/L (2)
20231.4 ft (2)157.5 µg/L (2)169.5 µg/L (2)
20220.9 ft (2)220.0 µg/L (2)223.5 µg/L (2)
20211.3 ft (1)171.0 µg/L (2)174.0 µg/L (2)
20191.3 ft (2)157.0 µg/L (2)171.5 µg/L (2)
20181.5 ft (4)85.5 µg/L (4)219.8 µg/L (4)
20171.5 ft (2)70.5 µg/L (2)116.0 µg/L (2)
20161.1 ft (4)170.3 µg/L (3)157.3 µg/L (3)
20151.6 ft (2)115.0 µg/L (2)289.0 µg/L (1)

Latest individual samples: Secchi 2.9 ft (2026-03-31), chlorophyll-a 157 µg/L (2025-08-19), and total phosphorus 145 µg/L (2025-08-19).

Secchi clarity is how deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface — more feet means clearer water.

Chlorophyll-a is an algae pigment; higher values signal more algae in the water column.

Total phosphorus is a nutrient that feeds algae and aquatic plants. It is not a weed survey — depth, bottom type, water movement, and management change the actual lake experience.

Yellowstone Lake - Deep Hole Near Dam And Boat RentalStation 333254 · TSI based on chlorophyll
Station reports DNR lake record
Modeled from DNR/CLMN monitoring — not a safety or swim-condition report. Verify current conditions locally. LakeList verified 2026-07-12.

Official Wisconsin information

Plan with DNR sources

LakeList links to the authoritative record so you can verify maps, rules, and current notices before leaving.

Historical DNR depth maps6 converted map sheetsView DNR depth mapHistorical map · not for navigationFishing regulationsVerify current seasons, limits, and restrictionsOfficial DNR lake pageFacts, advisories, boating, and water qualityWater quality reportsMonitoring stations, clarity, and DNR reportsInvasive speciesVerified, observed, and historical AIS recordsBoating ordinancesLocal slow-no-wake and water-use restrictionsFish consumption advisoriesStatewide and waterbody-specific health guidance

Historical depth maps are not for navigation. Verify regulations and access at the official source before your trip.

Historical Wisconsin DNR maps

Yellowstone Lake depth maps

6 converted map sheets. These historical surveys are not for navigation.

Original DNR document

Navigable depth map

Yellowstone Lake · sheet 1

Pan, zoom, and inspect the converted Wisconsin DNR historical map image in the browser. Historical survey — not for navigation.

Full-size image
100% Drag to pan · wheel to zoom
Yellowstone Lake historical Wisconsin DNR depth map sheet 1

Source: Wisconsin DNR · WBIC 903700 · image navigation only; spatial alignment pending · Historical lake maps are not for navigation.

Loading map after the main lake details
Yellowstone Lake · page 1Lafayette County · WBIC 903700 · 130 KB preview
Map image · not spatially aligned
Full-size map DNR source

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Converted for browser access with source URLs, checksums, and retrieval dates retained. Historical lake maps are not for navigation.

Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey

Fish population survey

Structured LakeList extraction from the 2018 DNR fisheries survey. Population estimates, density, and catch-rate indices use different units, methods, and scopes, so each value is presented in its original form rather than normalized against a different measure.

Source PDF
Adult walleye estimateNot reportedPopulation model unavailable
Walleye densityNot reportedManagement target unavailable
Species indexed8129 extracted survey metrics
Survey indicatorsValues keep their source unit and method; unlike measures are not scaled or compared.
Management contextYellowstone Lake (WBIC 903700) only

Human-reviewed 2018-2019 gamefish, catfish and panfish metrics for Yellowstone Lake.

  • Historical survey snapshot; not current regulations or navigation guidance.
  • Only explicit report observations and estimates were promoted; management targets, comparison-lake values and unsupported chart-only values were excluded.
  • Metric source pages, survey years, methods, units and exact waterbody scope are retained.

Black Crappie

977 fish2018 fyke net catch count · p. 154.8 fish/net-night2018 fyke net cpue · p. 156.8 inches2018 min length · p. 1512.4 inches2018 max length · p. 15

Bluegill

74 fish2018 electrofishing catch count · p. 1474 fish/mile2018 electrofishing cpue · p. 144.4 inches2018 min length · p. 148.2 inches2018 max length · p. 14

Channel Catfish

1,055 fish2018 fyke net catch count · p. 134.9 fish/net-night2018 fyke net cpue · p. 1310 inches2018 min length · p. 1329.5 inches2018 max length · p. 13

Flathead Catfish

5 fish2019 catch count · p. 1423.3 inches2019 min length · p. 1439.5 inches2019 max length · p. 1433.4 inches2019 mean length · p. 14

Largemouth Bass

91 fish2018 electrofishing catch count · p. 1222.8 fish/mile2018 electrofishing cpue · p. 1211.1 inches2018 min length · p. 1221 inches2018 max length · p. 12

Muskellunge

82 fish2018 fyke net catch count · p. 100.5 fish/net-night2018 fyke net cpue · p. 1010.4 inches2018 min length · p. 1047.7 inches2018 max length · p. 10

Smallmouth Bass

47 fish2018 catch count · p. 138.2 inches2018 min length · p. 1318.4 inches2018 max length · p. 1314 inches2018 mean length · p. 13

Walleye

1,238 fish2018 fyke net catch count · p. 11247 fish2018 electrofishing catch count · p. 11105 fish2018 electrofishing recapture count · p. 117.3 fish/net-night2018 fyke net cpue · p. 11
Yellowstone Lake, Lafayette County 2018-2019 SurveysMatched by exact wbic name county · WBICs 903700 · verified 2026-07-20Wisconsin DNR fisheries report; LakeList operator documented permission to leverage this public report with source attribution.
453surface acres
14max depth feet
4public access points
42.7630, -89.9704latitude, longitude

Access

Public access points

Boat launchAccess Along Lake Rd42.76317, -89.96718Managed by Wisconsin DNR
DNR verifiedDirections
Boat launchAccess at East Nr Boat Rental42.76084, -89.95960Managed by Wisconsin DNR
DNR verifiedDirections
Boat launchAccess at West Nr Waterfowl Area42.77135, -89.98304Managed by Wisconsin DNR
DNR verifiedDirections
Boat launchAccess Near Beach42.76876, -89.97251Managed by Wisconsin DNR
DNR verifiedDirections

Nearby

Trip-planning places

No nearby trip-planning places yet

Fishery

Notable species

PanfishLargemouth BassMuskyNorthern PikeTroutWalleye
Best musky lakes in Wisconsin →Best walleye lakes in Wisconsin →Best panfish lakes in Wisconsin →Best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin →Best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin →

Depth FAQ

How deep is Yellowstone Lake?

Yellowstone Lake is 14 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 8 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.

Is there a free depth map of Yellowstone Lake?

Yes. LakeList publishes a free interactive depth contour map of Yellowstone Lake at a typical 5-foot interval, with an optional 3D underwater view, derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived) survey data.

Where does the Yellowstone Lake depth map come from?

The interactive depth contours are derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived). Each contour set passes a visual QA review against the source document before it is published. The depths are derived from community sonar recordings (C-MAP Genesis Social Map, used with permission), with gaps between recordings interpolated; not for navigation.

View the full Yellowstone Lake depth map →

Trust and freshness

Where this lake data comes from

Wisconsin DNR Lake Mapsname, coordinates, county, source identifiers
LakeList record updated 2026-07-14

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