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Petenwell Lake

Monroe · Armenia · Rome · Strongs Prairie · Necedah, Wisconsin — Adams County.

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23,017Surface acres
13Public access sites
8.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 157361961).

Location & fast facts

Where Petenwell Lake is in Wisconsin

The red circle marks Petenwell Lake.

Fast facts

About Petenwell Lake

  • Counties: Adams, Juneau
  • Shore towns: Monroe, Armenia, Rome, Strongs Prairie, Necedah
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 128 mi from Milwaukee and 58 mi from Wausau, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Wisconsin

Official Wisconsin DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 12 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 8.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 37 campgrounds within 15 mi, 4 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel and Eurasian watermilfoil recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Petenwell Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Juneau County Wilderness Park Campground (campground)Petenwell County Park Annex Campground (campground)Batura (campground)Petenwell County ATV/UTV Campground (campground)Moonlight Trails Campground (campground)Armenia Landing (Boat launch)1Barnum Bay (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4Chester Creek Boat Launch (Boat launch)5Petenwell County Park (Boat launch)6Petenwell Flowage Access (Boat launch)7Petenwell Lake - 3rd St. Access (Boat launch)8Petenwell Park - 20th Drive Access (Boat launch)9Petenwell Wilderness Park (Boat launch)10Town of Monroe Park (Boat launch)11Van Kuren Landing (Boat launch)12Petenwell Flowage - Blackhawk Drive/Bighorn Access (Cartop / walk-in)131 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchCartop / walk-inShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Armenia Landing
    Boat launch · Monroe
  2. 2Barnum Bay
    Boat launch · Monroe
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Armenia
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Strongs Prairie
  5. 5Chester Creek Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Monroe
  6. 6Petenwell County Park
    Boat launch · Monroe
  7. 7Petenwell Flowage Access
    Boat launch · Monroe
  8. 8Petenwell Lake - 3rd St. Access
    Boat launch · Monroe
  9. 9Petenwell Park - 20th Drive Access
    Boat launch · Monroe
  10. 10Petenwell Wilderness Park
    Boat launch · Monroe
  11. 11Town of Monroe Park
    Boat launch · Monroe
  12. 12Van Kuren Landing
    Boat launch · Monroe
  13. 13Petenwell Flowage - Blackhawk Drive/Bighorn Access
    Cartop / walk-in · Monroe

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 157361961), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Wisconsin DNR boat access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

8.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 10%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 8.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Petenwell Lake shoreline, mostly along the south and west shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Boat ramp, right on a shoreline trail (Wisconsin DNR boat access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Petenwell Lake

We found 37 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Petenwell Lake, 5 of them within 5 miles. 4 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Wisconsin

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (44.1526, -89.9525). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Petenwell Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Petenwell Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    13 public access sites listed, 12 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Armenia LandingMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating
    Handicap accessible
    44.1265, -90.0135
    Barnum BayMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating44.1731, -89.9010
    Boat rampArmenia—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating44.1708, -89.9442
    Boat rampStrongs Prairie—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating44.0670, -89.9567
    Chester Creek Boat LaunchMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating44.2245, -89.8778
    Petenwell County ParkMonroePetenwell ParkBoat ramp · Concrete ramp——Boating
    Handicap accessible
    44.1206, -89.9556
    Petenwell Flowage AccessMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Gravel ramp——Boating44.0906, -89.9530
    Petenwell Lake - 3rd St. AccessMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating44.2283, -89.9166
    Petenwell Park - 20th Drive AccessMonroePetenwell ParkBoat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating44.1176, -89.9662
    Petenwell Wilderness ParkMonroeLand, Forestry & Parks Dept.Boat ramp · Concrete Panels ramp——Boating44.1531, -89.9834
    Town of Monroe ParkMonroeTown of MonroeBoat ramp · Concrete Panels ramp——Boating44.1534, -89.9180
    Van Kuren LandingMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Boat ramp · Concrete Plank ramp——Boating44.0684, -89.9564
    Petenwell Flowage - Blackhawk Drive/Bighorn AccessMonroeWisconsin River Power Co.Carry-in (hand launch)——Boating44.1047, -89.9713

    Wisconsin DNR boat access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Petenwell Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Petenwell Lake

    How big is Petenwell Lake?

    Petenwell Lake covers about 23,017 acres in Monroe, Armenia, Rome and Strongs Prairie, Wisconsin (Adams County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Petenwell Lake?

    Yes. 12 public trailer launches are listed: Armenia Landing, Petenwell Wilderness Park and Petenwell Flowage Access. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Petenwell Lake?

    Yes. We list 37 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 5 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Petenwell Lake?

    Petenwell Lake touches Monroe, Armenia, Rome, Strongs Prairie and Necedah in Adams County and Juneau County, Wisconsin.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Petenwell Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

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