Wisconsin has more lakes than Minnesota if you count all bodies of water using a more inclusive size criterion. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wisconsin has about 15,074 lakes, while Minnesota has 11,842 lakes of 10 acres or more based on the Minnesota DNR definition
. However, the difference arises because each state uses different criteria to define what counts as a lake. Wisconsin counts smaller bodies of water (2.2 acres or more), whereas Minnesota only counts lakes 10 acres or larger. If Wisconsin used Minnesota's 10-acre minimum, its lake count would drop to about 5,300, fewer than Minnesota's 11,842 lakes
. Using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data, which counts all water bodies larger than a quarter-acre as "lake/pond features," Minnesota has about 124,662 such features compared to Wisconsin's 82,099. Minnesota also has more named lakes (8,784 vs. 5,481) and more lakes larger than one acre and ten acres
. In summary:
- Number of lakes by state DNR definitions:
- Wisconsin: ~15,074 lakes (2.2+ acres)
- Minnesota: 11,842 lakes (10+ acres)
- If using Minnesota's 10-acre definition:
- Wisconsin: ~5,300 lakes
- Minnesota: 11,842 lakes
- USGS water body features (ponds and lakes combined):
- Minnesota: ~124,662
- Wisconsin: ~82,099
So, Wisconsin has more lakes if counting smaller water bodies, but Minnesota has more lakes when using the standard 10-acre minimum size and more named lakes overall
. Additionally, Wisconsin has a greater percentage of its area covered by water (about 17%) compared to Minnesota (about 8%), largely due to the inclusion of Great Lakes shorelines, but Minnesota has a higher percentage of inland lake surface area excluding the Great Lakes
