Lake Mendota

Dane County, Wisconsin

OverviewFacts & Figures

Physical Characteristics

Surface Area (Acres)9,781
Maximum Depth (ft)83
Mean Depth (ft)42
Shoreline (miles)
Bottom Composition29% sand, 29% gravel, 2% rock, 40% muck
Water Clarity — Secchi Depth (ft)
Trophic Status
Drainage BasinDRAINAGE
Lake Classlake
Public Access
Township
GPS Coordinates43.10500° N, 89.41990° W
WBIC (DNR ID)805400

Fish Species

8 species documented

AbundantCommonPresentRare
SpeciesAbundanceLast Survey
PanfishAbundant
CatfishCommon
Largemouth BassCommon
Northern PikeCommon
Smallmouth BassCommon
WalleyeCommon
MuskyPresent
SturgeonPresent

Boat Landings

10 landings

NameTypeRampTrailersFee
Lake Street Boat RampRAMP0NoNo
Governor Nelson State Park Boat LandingRAMPGr25YesYes
Tenney Park Boat RampRAMP16-20YesYes
Willow Drive Boat LaunchRAMP1-5NoNo
Middleton Boat RampCARRY-IN6-10YesYes
Governors IslandCARRY-IN0NoNo
Spring Harbor Park Boat RampRAMP1-5YesNo
Mendota County Park Boat LaunchRAMP0NoYes
Marshall Park Boat RampRAMPGr25YesYes
Warner Park Boat RampRAMPGreater than 25YesYes

Invasive Species

Invasive species have been documented in or near this lake. Please clean, drain, and dry all watercraft and equipment before leaving to prevent spread.

SpeciesStatusFirst Detected
Chinese Mystery SnailConfirmed
Curly-Leaf PondweedConfirmed
Eurasian Water-MilfoilConfirmed
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)Confirmed
Rusty CrayfishConfirmed
Spiny WaterfleaConfirmed
Zebra MusselConfirmed

Data sourced from Wisconsin DNR lake surveys. Last scraped: 4/30/2026.

Lake Mendota — Facts & Figures | Stay Northern