Lake Delton

About Lake Delton

The area attracts more than three million visitors to the nearby Wisconsin Dells each year, and the area of Lake Delton and adjacent Mirror Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state of Wisconsin. The French word for "Dalles Canyon," which derives from its name, is the largest lake in Wisconsin, the second largest in North America after the Great Lakes. The river flows from the Delton Dam into the lake and winds through the lower Wisconsin River Delta. Its main source of water, Lake Mirror Lake itself, is a Dell Creek, a stream flowing from a dam at the northern end of Dalls Canyon north of Milwaukee.

About 20,000 years ago, glaciers left an outer layer blocking Dell Creek's path, and the creek, with traditional Midwestern inventiveness, changed direction and dug a new channel.

Today there is much more to see and do, and a beautiful sandstone gorge draws visitors to the area. The channel, which runs through an area of late Cambrian sandstone, is located north of Delton and Mirror Lake.

Lake Delton is flooded by the Great Lakes, the Wisconsin River, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, as well as the US Geological Survey.

The shores of the lake are lined with resorts, marinas, restaurants and private homes, and there are rentals and shops.

Visitors to Lake Delton can stroll along the shore or, for the more adventurous, kayak or canoe. It is also a popular destination for amphibious vehicles, for scenic tours around the lakes and the nearby Wisconsin River, as well as for kayakers.

Wisconsin Dells, nicknamed "The Water Park Capital of the World," is located just a few miles from Lake Delton. There are a number of water parks in the area, including Wisconsin Dell's Water Park, and it offers visitors a quiet spot to paddle and explore the magnificent sandstone cliffs. Visitors can also take a scenic tour of the area, overlooking Lake Wisconsin and the nearby Wisconsin River and Lake Michigan.

On Monday, June 9, 2008, Lake Delton burst its banks, washed away three homes and a section of Highway A and spilled into the Wisconsin River, leaving a mud pit full of dead and dying fish.

No one was injured, but the damage to the lake's land and revenues amounted to several million dollars, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources committed to replenishing Lake Delton. It took less than a year to repair the dam and replenish the lake, and it reopened to the public on Memorial Day weekend 2009. On June 9, 2009, the Wisconsin governor celebrated its reopening and LakeDelton reopened. The lake, which is owned by Lake Delta, has been replenished by the state of Wisconsin, the US Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies.

Once again, Lake Delton is full of fishermen and boaters who go boating, fishing, camping and catch trout, perch and other fish.