Yellowstone Lake State Park

• Camping
• Hunting
• Water Recreation
• In the Area
• How To Get There

It’s not the 455-acre lake that makes Yellowstone Lake State Park special. It’s not the 4,050 acres of adjoining wildlife habitat and cropland either.

Rich colors surround Yellowstone Lake in the fall.
DNR Photo

What makes Yellowstone Lake unique is the lack of mosquitoes and a glossy-eyed mammal with wings.

The 968-acre park is the summer home to more than 4,000 little brown bats. The bats roost in 31 bat houses throughout the park. The houses serve as nurseries, where the bats raise their pups.

The project is the work of Kent Borcherding, a park volunteer from Hazel Green, who has maintained the houses and been working with the bats since 1995. Borcherding also gives interpretative presentations on the bats.

Each evening campers gather around the bat houses to watch the bats flit about the sky on their hunting expeditions. Since each bat can catch up to 600 mosquitoes an hour, they have nearly eliminated the mosquito population. This benefit is greatly appreciated by campers!

The bats have quickly become a highlight to the park’s interpretive program. In 2000 Merlin Tuttle, founder of Bat Conservation International in Austin, Texas, brought a film crew to Yellowstone Lake to film the little brown bat. BCI used the documentary for promotion and to inform the public that bats aren’t the hazard most people believe they are. In fact, even with the high concentration of bats in the park, there has never been a human/bat conflict. --Nicole Perrault, park naturalist

Park Map [PDF 541KB]

Water Recreation

While the bats provide evening entertainment, the lake furnishes the bulk of day activities. The 455-acre lake is shared by personal watercraft, boats, kayaks, canoes, swimmers, and anglers.

Boat, fish or swim on one of the few lakes in Southwest Wisconsin.
DNR Photo

Since 1997, 400,000 pounds of carp were taken from Yellowstone Lake. The lake has become clearer and has an abundant population of crappies and walleye, and the game fish populations are flourishing. Fishing opportunities also exist for bass, bluegill, channel catfish, muskies, and northerns. Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Bradd Sims coordinates the carp removal.

From 1997 to 2000, Yellowstone Lake was catch-and-release-only on game fish. The lake is now open to fishing with the following regulations: Yellowstone Lake (including the Yellowstone River from the lake upstream to County Highway F):

• Walleye, sauger, their hybrids, and channel and flathead catfish between 15 and 18 inches, and largemouth and smallmouth bass between 12 and 15 inches, may be kept with a total daily bag limit of two fish.
• Catch and release only on northern pike, muskellunge, their hybrids, gar and bowfin.

Camping

The park offers 128 individual campsites; 108 are reservable and 38 have electrical hookups. There also are five reservable groups sites, four with electricity. The campground will be closed November 30, 2008, to April 1, 2009. However, the park will remain open for day use.

Campground Map [PDF 155KB]

For site descriptions and more information or to reserve a site, use the Web or phone (888) 947-2757, TTY (800) 274-7275.

A flush toilet and shower building, completed in 2002, provides campers with excellent accommodations.

Hunting

Deer hunting is allowed within Yellowstone Lake State. A special permit (free of charge) is required. The permit is available at the park office, DNR Service Centers or online. See the current Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations for complete rules and tagging instructions.

Accommodations, Activities, Dining, Events, and More

Argyle [exit DNR]
Darlington [exit DNR]
Mineral Point [exit DNR]
Mineral Point and Dodgeville [exit DNR]

How to Get There

From Madison, head west on U.S. Highway 18/151 toward Dodgeville. Near Mount Horeb exit onto State Highway 78. and head south to Blanchardville. When you reach Blanchardville, cross the Pecatonica River. At the top of the hill is County Highway F (right hand turn). Take Highway F about 8 miles to Lake Road. There you will see a sign for Yellowstone Lake State Park. Turn left onto Lake Road. The park office is about 1 mile down the road on the right side.

From Dubuque, take State Highway 11 east about 31 miles to State Highway 23. Go north about 7 miles to Darlington. In Darlington, take County Highway F to the northeast and gor about 10 miles to Lake Road. Watch for signs for Yellowstone Lake State Park. Turn right onto Lake Road and the park office will be one mile on the right.

The street address is 8495 Lake Road, Blanchardville, WI 53516. Map coordinates are 42° 46' 15.2" north, 89° 59' 8.7" west.

For more information ask Yellowstone Lake State Park, (608) 523-4427.