Madison's lakes: beaches, paddling, boat launches and ice on Mendota, Monona and more

The five lakes

• Lake Mendota (about 9,781 acres, up to 83 feet deep): the biggest, on the north side of the isthmus, with the UW campus, Picnic Point and the Memorial Union Terrace on its south shore.
• Lake Monona (3,359 acres, up to 74 feet): on the south side of the isthmus, with Monona Terrace, Olin Park and Olbrich Park on its shores.
• Lake Wingra (336 acres, only 14 feet deep): small and shallow, beside Henry Vilas Park, the zoo and the UW Arboretum.
• Lake Waubesa (2,074 acres) and Lake Kegonsa (3,200 acres): south of Madison, with Goodland County Park on Waubesa and Lake Kegonsa State Park on Kegonsa.

Beaches and water quality

The city has 12 public beaches, and none has lifeguards. Swimming season runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, when swim ropes are in and seasonal restrooms open.

• Lake Mendota: Tenney, James Madison, Warner, Spring Harbor and Marshall.
• Lake Monona and Monona Bay: Olin, Olbrich, Esther, B.B. Clarke, Bernie's and Brittingham.
• Lake Wingra: Vilas.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Public Health Madison & Dane County tests the water at 27 beaches and closes any where E. coli or blue-green algae levels are a concern. Check its beach page before you swim, skip swimming after heavy rain, and stay out of water with an algae bloom.

Paddling and boat rentals

Rentals are seasonal: most outfitters have closed for 2026 and reopen in spring 2027.

• Wingra Boats at Wingra Park: canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats and paddle boats, including swan and duck boats, on calm Lake Wingra, a good first paddle.
• Brittingham Boats on Monona Bay: more than 200 rentable boats, including giant paddleboards and fishing boats, with a small cafe.
• Marshall Boats at Marshall Park on Lake Mendota: pontoons, fishing pontoons, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.
• Outdoor UW at the Memorial Union: kayaks, canoes and paddleboards on Lake Mendota from commencement weekend in May, rented only on green-flag days. In winter it rents snowshoes, skates and skis.
• Rutabaga Paddlesports runs seasonal rentals at Olbrich Park on Lake Monona.

Boat launches, permits and fishing

• Lake access permits: you need a City of Madison Lake Access Permit year-round to launch any boat, including a canoe or kayak, at city launches (Law, Olbrich and Olin on Monona; Marshall, Spring Harbor, Tenney and Warner on Mendota). Dane County requires its matching permit at county launch sites. For 2027, both are $13 a day or $60 a year for Dane County residents ($90 non-residents), with half-price annual permits for seniors 65+, military, veterans and people with disabilities. Buy online ahead of time; they aren't sold at the launches.
• Tenney Locks: Dane County runs the Tenney Locks at Tenney Park, usually May through October.
• Fishing: everyone 16 and older needs a Wisconsin fishing license. The DNR lists musky, panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike and walleye in all five lakes, with sturgeon in Mendota and Monona.

Walk or bike the shore

• Lake Monona loop: a marked 13.8-mile loop around the lake, starting and ending at Olbrich Park if you like. See our getting around guide for the city's bike paths.
• The Lakeshore Path along Lake Mendota on the UW campus runs from North Park Street to Oxford Road, past the Memorial Union. Bikes are allowed on the Howard Temin section but not on the Lake Mendota Path out to Picnic Point. More walks in our hiking guide.

Winter and ice

Lake Mendota has ice records going back to 1855. Its median freeze date is December 20, but the last two winters froze later: on January 1, 2026, after a January 7 freeze the year before. The lake stayed frozen 71 days last winter, against a long-term average of 102.

The DNR's advice is that "no ice is 100% safe." Carry a phone and tell someone your plans, wear a life jacket or float coat and ice creepers, bring a spud bar, ice picks and rope, and don't go out at night or somewhere unfamiliar. Stay away from inlets, outlets and narrows, where current thins the ice. For skating, stick to the city's maintained rinks and lagoons, and if a rink is listed as closed, stay off it. See our winter guide.