Lake Onalaska

Lake Onalaska
Lake Onalaska, WI
Location	La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates	43°52′01″N 091°18′26″W / 43.86694°N 91.30722°W / 43.86694; -91.30722Coordinates: 43°52′01″N 091°18′26″W / 43.86694°N 91.30722°W / 43.86694; -91.30722
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Mississippi River
Primary outflows	Mississippi River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	4 mi (6.4 km)
Max. width	3.75 mi (6.04 km)
Surface area	7,688 acres (3,111 ha)
Max. depth	43 ft (13 m)
Surface elevation	633 ft (193 m)
Settlements	Onalaska

Lake Onalaska is a reservoir located on the Black River and Mississippi River between Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) across, and is the widest point on the Mississippi River. Located in La Crosse County in the state of Wisconsin, its latitude and longitude are 43°52′01″N 091°18′26″W / 43.86694°N 91.30722°W / 43.86694; -91.30722 (Lake Onalaska). The lake is 7,688 acres (31.11 km²) and is shored by the city from which its name came from: Onalaska, Wisconsin. It sits at an altitude of 633 feet (193 m) and is 43 feet (13 m) deep at its deepest.

Thomas G. Rowe (New York) and John C. Laird (Pennsylvania) platted the village of Onalaska, together, in 1851. Rowe chose the name from a poem by Thomas Campbell called "The Pleasures of Hope" published in 1799. The line "The wolf's long howl from Oonalaska's shore," inspired his choice. The village, located in a heavy river-access area, became important in the lumber industry.

In the 1930s, as a series of Lock and Dam systems were being implemented throughout the Upper Mississippi area, Lock and Dam No. 7 was built to dam the Black River, creating the reservoir Lake Onalaska.

The name for Lake Onalaska is derived from the name of the village (now city) of Onalaska and the rural town of Onalaska, both of which border the shores of the lake. Lake Roosevelt and Lake Leisure were, at one time, both considered possible names for what is now known as Lake Onalaska.