Lake Wisconsin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the prehistoric lake, see Glacial Lake Wisconsin.

For the town, see Lake Wisconsin, Wisconsin.

Lake Wisconsin
Location	Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°23′46.54″N, 89°34′43.93″WCoordinates: 43°23′46.54″N, 89°34′43.93″W
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Wisconsin River
Primary outflows	Wisconsin River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	9500 acres (38 km²)
Max. depth	40 ft (12 m)
Surface elevation	about 774 ft (236 m)

Lake Wisconsin is a reservoir on the Wisconsin River in southern Wisconsin in the United States. It is located in Columbia and Sauk counties, approximately 5 mi (8 km) southeast of Baraboo and 25 mi (40 km) NNW of Madison.

It was formed by the construction of a dam at Prairie du Sac, which was begun in 1915 and completed in 1924. It is part of the Wisconsin River system of reservoirs. The lake has a maximum depth of 40 ft (12 m). It has a shoreline of 57 mi (90 km) and an area of 9500 acres (38 km²).

Its construction effectively ended the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway connection to the Mississippi River, although commercial traffic had ended decades before completion of the dam.

The lake provides flood control and is a popular destination for recreational boating and fishing.

The Merrimac Ferry crosses the lake at Merrimac, Wisconsin.