Guide to the Lakes Around Lake Geneva
Everyone knows Geneva Lake. Fewer visitors realize they’re sitting in the middle of one of the densest clusters of good lakes in the Midwest. Within about 30 minutes of downtown Lake Geneva there are 17 of them, from a 5,262-acre showpiece to spring-fed kettle lakes you’ve never heard of.
This is the visitor’s guide to all 17: how big, how deep, where to swim, where to launch, where to rent a boat, and which town sits on the shore. If you’re here to fish, we wrote a separate guide for you. Jump to The Complete Fishing Guide to Lake Geneva & Walworth County.
A note on access, because it matters: some of these lakes are ringed by homes with no public beach and a residents-only launch. We say so plainly for each one. Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine means the water itself is always public, but getting to it isn’t always easy, and we’d rather tell you that than send you to a locked gate.
Here’s the thing about reading this list. Half the people who do end up doing drive-time math in the car on the way home. The lakes around here have been turning Chicago weekends into Wisconsin addresses for 150 years. When the daydream starts, we’re who you call. Kim & Joel Reyenga, eXp Realty.
At a glance: all 17 lakes
| Lake | Acres | Max Depth | Public Access | Public Beach | Boat Rental | Nearest Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva Lake | 5,262 | 135 ft | Yes, several | Yes (4 beaches) | Yes | Lake Geneva |
| Delavan Lake | 1,775 | 50 ft | Yes | Resort/town | Yes | Delavan |
| Lake Como | 946 | 9 ft | Yes, town ramps | No | Limited | Lake Geneva |
| Lake Beulah | 834 | 58 ft | Yes, fee launch | No | Yes | East Troy |
| Lauderdale Lakes | 834 | 55 ft | Yes, ramps | No | Marina | Elkhorn |
| Whitewater Lake | 625 | 40 ft | Yes, state | Yes (state beach) | Yes | Whitewater |
| Lake Elizabeth | 638 | 32 ft | Yes | Yes | Marina slips | Twin Lakes |
| Powers Lake | 459 | 33 ft | Yes | No | Yes | Genoa City |
| Browns Lake | 397 | 44 ft | Yes, county park | Yes (Fischer Park) | No | Burlington |
| Lake Mary | 327 | 33 ft | Yes | Yes | Marina slips | Twin Lakes |
| Potters Lake | 157 | 26 ft | Yes, launch | No | No | East Troy |
| Pleasant Lake | 155 | 25 ft | Yes, ramp + park | No | No | Elkhorn |
| Rice Lake | 144 | 10 ft | Yes, launch | No | No | Whitewater |
| Turtle Lake | 141 | 30 ft | Yes, north landing | Lakefront venues | No | Delavan |
| Bohners Lake | 135 | 30 ft | Yes, north landing | Yes | No | Burlington |
| Lake Wandawega | 120 | 8 ft | Yes, landing | Camp guests | Resort | Elkhorn |
| Booth Lake | 118 | 24 ft | Residents only | Residents | No | East Troy |
| Benedict Lake | 76 | 37 ft | No public launch | No | No | Genoa City |
The Geneva Lake heart
Geneva Lake
The big one, and the reason everyone comes. 5,262 acres, 135 feet deep, spring-fed and clear, with the 21-mile Shore Path circling the whole thing past 150 years of Chicago estates. Four public beaches (Riviera downtown, Fontana on the west end, Williams Bay on the north shore, Big Foot Beach State Park on the east). Boat and pontoon rentals from Marina Bay, Elmer’s, Gordy’s, and Jerry’s. The Mailboat and Black Point tours run all summer. This is the lake you build a weekend, or a life, around. Full detail in our Things to Do guide.
Towns on the shore: Lake Geneva, Williams Bay, Fontana. See homes in Lake Geneva.
Lake Como
The quiet neighbor, 946 acres just northwest of Lake Geneva. Shallow (9 feet at its deepest) and weedy, so it warms up early and fishes well for panfish and bass, but it’s not a swimming-beach lake. Town ramps on the northeast and south shores. Mostly residential, with Geneva National’s golf right next door. Good for a kayak or a quiet electric-motor afternoon, not a wakeboarding crowd.
Nearest town: Lake Geneva and Geneva National. See homes in Lake Como.
The Delavan lakes
Delavan Lake
The second showpiece, 1,775 acres and 50 feet deep, 15 minutes west of Lake Geneva. Clear water, a real resort scene anchored by Lake Lawn Resort, and a genuinely good public access site with parking on the northeast shore. Boat rental, bait, a marina with gas, and the Lake Lawn Queen tour boat that cruises past five Frank Lloyd Wright homes. If Geneva Lake is booked solid on a July Saturday, Delavan is the move.
Nearest town: Delavan. See homes on Delavan Lake.
Turtle Lake
A 141-acre spring-fed lake (30 feet deep) just southwest of Delavan, and more visitor-friendly than its quiet reputation suggests. There’s a public boat landing on the north shore, and two lakefront spots turn it into a real Saturday: Turtle Lake Tap & Grill on the east shore has a sandy beach, swimming, and sunset views you can reach by car or by boat, and Snug Harbor Campground & Restaurant on the north shore has a clean swimming beach and a full restaurant. Good panfish, largemouth, pike, and catfish. A genuine find.
Nearest town: Delavan. See homes on Turtle Lake.
The Elkhorn & Lauderdale lakes
Lauderdale Lakes
A spring-fed chain of three connected lakes (Green, Middle, and Mill), 834 acres and 55 feet deep, northwest of Elkhorn. Clear, deep, and cottage-lined, with a long tradition of summer families who’ve been coming for generations. Public ramps on the southwest end of Green Lake and the west shore of Mill Lake, plus a marina and food. The Southern Wakes United ski team puts on free shows here in summer. More residential than touristy, but beautiful, and the water quality shows it.
Nearest town: Elkhorn. See homes on the Lauderdale Lakes.
Pleasant Lake
A small, clear spring lake (155 acres, 25 feet) east of Elkhorn with a speed limit that keeps it calm. There’s a public ramp on the west side and a park with picnic tables and toilets. Scout camps sit on the shore. It’s a paddle-and-panfish lake, quiet by design, not a party lake. Lives up to the name.
Nearest town: Elkhorn. See homes on Pleasant Lake.
Lake Wandawega
The character of the bunch. 120 acres and only 8 feet deep, with a public boat landing off Highway 67. The draw isn’t the fishing, it’s Camp Wandawega, a rustic 1925 resort on the National Register of Historic Places with a past that runs through speakeasies, a brothel, and a Latvian priests’ retreat before its current life as a beloved cabins-and-treehouse getaway for weddings and weekends. There’s nothing else like it on any of these lakes.
Nearest town: Elkhorn. See homes near Lake Wandawega.
The East Troy lakes
Lake Beulah
The biggest lake in the East Troy area, 834 acres and 58 feet deep, clear with about 8 feet of visibility. There’s a town landing on the southwest shore with a fee launch and handicap access, boat rental, and beverages nearby. A real boating lake with a strong residential ring and good fishing for bass, pike, and panfish. No public swimming beach, so come for the boat, not the towel.
Nearest town: East Troy. See homes on Lake Beulah.
Booth Lake
A pretty 118-acre spring-fed lake (24 feet deep) just outside East Troy, but read this before you load the trailer: Booth is semi-private. The launch at Booth Lake Memorial Park is open only to residents of the Town of Troy, the Town of East Troy, and the Village of East Troy, with proof of residency and a fee. Lovely lake, almost entirely residential, and not a casual visitor’s launch. Worth knowing if you’re house-hunting here, since shoreline ownership is the way onto this water.
Nearest town: East Troy. See homes on Booth Lake.
Potters Lake
A 157-acre seepage lake (26 feet) southeast of East Troy with a public launch on the southeast shore and no accommodations on the water. Quiet, residential, decent for largemouth, perch, and pike. A launch-and-go lake rather than a destination, but a calm one.
Nearest town: East Troy. See homes on Potters Lake.
The Whitewater & Kettle Moraine lakes
Whitewater Lake
The outdoor lake of the group, about 625 acres and 40 feet deep, set inside the Kettle Moraine State Forest near Whitewater. This is the one with real public infrastructure: a state swimming beach (open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.), a public boat launch, fishing piers, picnic areas, a playground, JNT’s Parkside Marina for rentals and gear, and the 63-site Whitewater Lake Campground a short walk away. Natureland Park and miles of Ice Age Trail are right there. A state park sticker is required. For a camping-and-swimming weekend, this beats the busy Geneva Lake beaches.
Nearest town: Whitewater. See homes near Whitewater Lake.
Rice Lake
Whitewater Lake’s shallow neighbor inside the same Kettle Moraine recreation area: 144 acres but only 10 feet deep, with its own public boat landing and a playground. Weedy and warm, it’s a fishing-and-wildlife lake more than a swimming one (the state beach is right next door at Whitewater Lake), with panfish, largemouth, and northern pike. Worth a stop if you’re already camping at Whitewater.
Nearest town: Whitewater. See homes near the Kettle Moraine.
The Twin Lakes & southern lakes
Lake Mary and Lake Elizabeth (the Twin Lakes)
The Village of Twin Lakes is built around these two: Lake Elizabeth at 638 acres (32 feet) and Lake Mary at about 327 acres (33 feet). This is the most visitor-ready cluster south of Geneva Lake. Lance Park on Lake Mary has a beach, a boat launch, a fishing pier, and a waterfront amphitheater, and it’s home to the free Twin Lakes Aquanuts water ski shows in summer. Lake Elizabeth has a marina with rental slips and Sunset Beach. Boat launches run March 1 through October 31. The town hosts Country Thunder every summer.
Nearest town: Twin Lakes / Genoa City. See homes on the Twin Lakes.
Powers Lake
A clear 459-acre lake (33 feet, 10 to 15 feet of visibility) straddling the Walworth and Kenosha line near Genoa City. Public launch on the northeast shore off County F, boat rental nearby. A genuine bass lake with a solid residential ring. Clean water and a good size for a day on a pontoon.
Nearest town: Genoa City / Twin Lakes. See homes on Powers Lake.
Benedict Lake
A small, surprisingly deep lake near Genoa City: 76 acres but 37 feet at its deepest, straddling the Walworth and Kenosha line just east of Powers Lake. Read this before you load the trailer, because there’s no public boat launch. The shoreline is residential, so the way onto this water is to own here or rent a lakefront place. Quiet and private, with panfish, largemouth, and pike for those who have access.
Nearest town: Genoa City / Twin Lakes. See homes on Benedict Lake.
The Burlington lakes
Browns Lake
The family-beach lake of the north end, 397 acres and 44 feet deep, in the Town of Burlington (Racine County). Einer Fischer County Park on the southeast shore has a public boat launch and a sandy swimming beach with lifeguards from Memorial Day through late August, a beach house, and picnic areas. There’s a small admission fee. If you’re staying near Burlington and want a real public beach day, this is it.
Nearest town: Burlington. See homes on Browns Lake.
Bohners Lake
A 135-acre lake (30 feet deep) near Burlington in Racine County, moderately clear and heavily ringed with homes. There’s a public boat landing on the north side off Lagoon Drive and a public swimming beach. Good fishing for panfish, largemouth, and northern pike, and easy water for a kayak or canoe. Smaller and quieter than Browns, but it has the public access a visitor needs.
Nearest town: Burlington. See homes on Bohners Lake.
Search homes on every lake in the area at
Frequently asked questions
Which lakes near Lake Geneva have public swimming beaches?
Geneva Lake (Riviera, Fontana, Williams Bay, and Big Foot Beach), Whitewater Lake (state beach in the Kettle Moraine), Browns Lake (Fischer County Park), Bohners Lake, and the Twin Lakes (Lance Park and Sunset Beach). Most of the smaller lakes are residential with no public beach.
Which lake is best for a family weekend?
Geneva Lake for the full resort-town experience, Delavan for a slightly quieter version with Lake Lawn Resort, Whitewater for camping and a state beach, and Browns Lake for a straightforward public beach day near Burlington.
Can I launch a boat on any of these lakes?
Most have public launches, but not all. Booth Lake is residents-only. Several charge a fee. Always check for posted local rules at the landing, since many of these lakes have slow-no-wake hours and clean-boat requirements.
Which lakes are best if I want to buy a place on the water?
That depends on what you want: Geneva Lake for prestige and resale, Delavan and the Lauderdale Chain for a strong lake-home market with a little more value, the Twin Lakes and Powers for a friendly southern-Walworth feel, and the smaller residential lakes (Booth, Beulah, Pleasant) for privacy. That’s a conversation we have all the time.
So you’ve been daydreaming on a dock
It happens to almost everyone who spends a weekend out here. You rent the pontoon, you walk the Shore Path, you watch the ski show, and somewhere on the drive home the daydream starts: what would it take to have a place on one of these.
That’s the question Kim and Joel Reyenga answer for Chicago families every week. Fifty-plus years of combined experience, and they know every one of these lakes, which shore gets the sunset, which market holds value, which lake fits how you actually want to spend a Saturday.
Or jump straight to what’s for sale across the area: current Lake Geneva listings.
Part of the Explore collection on LakeGenevaWeekend.com. Here to fish instead? Read The Complete Fishing Guide to Lake Geneva & Walworth County. Lake stats sourced from the Wisconsin DNR. Produced by Kim & Joel Reyenga, eXp Realty. Always confirm launch fees, beach hours, and local rules with each lake or town before you go.
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