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Lakes in Wisconsin

34 lakes in Wisconsin with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Winnebago County has the most (4). The darkest skies are at Lac Vieux Desert (Bortle 1).

Top lakes

Lake WinnebagoLake
Lake WinnebagoWinnebago County · 226 m
Geneva LakeLake
Geneva LakeWalworth County · 263 m
Lake MononaLake
Lake MononaDane County · 257 m
Lake MendotaLake
Lake MendotaDane County · 256 m
Rock LakeLake
Rock LakeJefferson County · 251 m
Lac Vieux DesertLake
Lac Vieux DesertVilas County · 512 m
Lake NoquebayLake
Lake NoquebayMarinette County · 201 m
Lake Butte des MortsLake
Lake Butte des MortsWinnebago County · 226 m
Lake LucerneLake
Lake LucerneForest County · 501 m
Lake WingraLake
Lake WingraDane County · 258 m
Lac Courte OreillesLake
Lac Courte OreillesSawyer County · 392 m
Little Cedar LakeLake
Little Cedar LakeWashington County · 308 m

Lakes by county

All lakes (34)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Lake WinnebagoWinnebago County226 mBrothertown4
Geneva LakeWalworth County263 mWilliams Bay5
Lake MononaDane County257 mMonona7
Lake MendotaDane County256 mShorewood Hills7
Rock LakeJefferson County251 mLake Mills5
Lac Vieux DesertVilas County512 mEagle River1
Lake NoquebayMarinette County201 mPeshtigo2
Lake Butte des MortsWinnebago County226 mWinneconne5
Lake LucerneForest County501 mCrandon2
Lake WingraDane County258 mMadison7
Lac Courte OreillesSawyer County392 mLittle Round Lake2
Little Cedar LakeWashington County308 mWest Bend5
Mirror Lake State ParkSauk County258 mLake Delton4
Trout LakeVilas County492 mLac du Flambeau1
Kangaroo LakeDoor County182 mSturgeon Bay2
Balsam LakePolk County345 mLuck3
Lake WaubesaDane County257 mMcFarland6
Little Lake Butte des MortsWinnebago County224 mMenasha7
Enterprise LakeLanglade County504 mNashville2
Dorothy Lake State Natural AreaChippewa County349 mCornell2
Pelican LakeOneida County485 mNashville2
Indian LakeOneida County503 mEagle River2
Lower Nashotah LakeWaukesha County262 mDelafield5
Upper Nashotah LakeWaukesha County266 mNashotah5
Lake MinocquaOneida County483 mLac du Flambeau1
Wazee LakeJackson County285 mBlack River Falls3
Clark LakeDoor County179 mSturgeon Bay2
Shawano LakeShawano County244 mShawano3
Silver LakeWaukesha County263 mOconomowoc5
Lake PoyganWinnebago County228 mWinneconne3
Venus LakeOneida County484 mNashville2
Red Cedar LakeBarron County361 mRice Lake2
Spirit LakePrice County488 mMedford2
Crampton LakeVilas County510 mEagle River1

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph lakes

Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.

  • For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
  • A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
  • Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
  • Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
  • Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.

Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.