Wisconsin has approximately 15,000 lakes, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) specifically reporting about 15,074 documented lakes. These lakes are defined as bodies of water 2.2 acres or larger

. Of these lakes, around 40 percent have been given names, totaling about 6,000 named lakes, ponds, and reservoirs

. The exact number can vary based on the criteria used to define a lake, which is why comparisons with states like Minnesota (which counts lakes differently) can be complicated

. Nonetheless, the commonly cited figure for Wisconsin is around 15,000 lakes.