Wazee Beach
Black River Falls, Wisconsin · on Trowe Drain · Jackson County Forest
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- quarry
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $30
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Wazee Beach
Wazee Beach is the swimming beach at Wazee Lake Recreation Area, a 1,300-acre Jackson County park east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, built around a 146-acre former iron-ore quarry that flooded after mining ended in 1983. The lake is Wisconsin's deepest inland lake (about 355 feet at its deepest point) and is best known as a top Midwest scuba diving destination, but the county park also maintains a designated swimming beach, making this flooded quarry swimming hole one of the more distinctive places to swim in the state, with camping, hiking, and boating facilities alongside.
The recreation area sits in the Town of Brockway in Jackson County, on the site of a former taconite (iron ore) mining pit that closed in 1983 and naturally filled with groundwater and runoff to form a 146-acre lake roughly 4,000 by 1,800 feet. The surrounding land is county forest/park land with hiking and biking trail networks, picnic areas, and scenic viewpoints around the lake.
Swimming at Wazee Beach
The county park lists a swimming beach area as one of its core facilities alongside the lake's boat launch and fishing pier. The lake itself is unusually deep and clear compared to typical Wisconsin lakes (visibility averaging 30-40 feet in summer), which is what draws scuba divers, but the designated beach area provides a shallower, developed spot for general swimming separate from the dive zones.
How to get to this swimming hole
The recreation area is located at N6302 Brockway Rd, Black River Falls, WI 54615, east of Black River Falls in the Town of Brockway, Jackson County.
The hike in
The official park facilities list treats the swimming beach, boat launch, and fishing pier as standalone day-use amenities separate from the park's 9 miles of hiking trails and 3 miles of paved bike trail, indicating the beach is a drive-up/walk-up area near parking rather than something reached via the trail network.
No source described a required hike or walk distance from the parking area to the beach itself; the 9-mile trail network appears to be a separate recreational loop system around the lake/park, not the access route to the swim beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The county park maintains a separate designated swimming beach apart from the lake's scuba-diving zones, but Wazee Lake overall is Wisconsin's deepest inland lake (~355 ft) with steep drop-offs from its former open-pit-mine walls and submerged mining infrastructure once you leave the shallow beach area. No lifeguard presence was confirmed in any source, so supervise kids closely and keep them within the marked beach/swim area.
Parking
Paid, $30 annual county park vehicle pass ($15 for a second pass in the same household)
Jackson County charges via an annual park pass system rather than a per-visit fee; exact lot size, surface, or distance from the beach was not specified in any source found.
Restrooms
Yes
The official Jackson County park page confirms pit toilets at the park's 12 rustic campsites. No source explicitly confirmed a separate restroom building at the day-use swimming beach/boat-launch area, so assume campground-style pit toilets are the facility type available on-site.
Water clarity
Clear
Wazee Lake is widely described, including on the county's own page, as the clearest and deepest inland lake in Wisconsin, with underwater visibility averaging 30-40 feet in summer, the reason it's a top Midwest scuba-diving destination. No visitor commentary on clarity specifically at the swim beach was found.
Hours
Jackson County Parks officially opens Wazee Lake Recreation Area for the season on April 15 each year, with Memorial Day through Labor Day run as the peak/reservation season (a separate seasonal reservation phone line, 715-333-5832, operates during that window; 715-284-8475 is used the rest of the year). No specific daily open/close clock hours were found.
On the water
Restrictions: Non-motorized only. Jackson County manages Wazee Lake as a non-motorized waterway (no motorboats or jet skis) to protect water quality and keep recreation low-impact; there is a boat launch on-site for carry-in/hand-launched non-motorized craft.
Rentals nearby
Self-serve, solar-powered automated kayak rental kiosk located directly at Lake Wazee. Tap the kiosk screen to select a watercraft and rental length, pay by card to unlock an equipment locker and the kayak, and swipe the same card to end the rental. Each rental includes a paddle and PFDs (youth and adult sizes).
Prices: $15-$22.50 per hour depending on location, 2-hour minimum, with reduced hourly rates for longer rentals
On-site at Lake Wazee, Black River Falls, WI (also listed via the Trempealeau Area Chamber of Commerce, which co-promotes the kiosk network) · 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM daily (subject to weather, park access, and seasonal conditions)
Listed in a Wisconsin paddling-livery directory (wisconsinrivertrips.com) under Black River canoe/kayak rentals near Black River Falls. Caution: the business's current live website (wazeesports.com, doing business as Bruce's Legacy) only advertises scuba diving instruction/certification (PADI/SDI/TDI/ERDI) and air fills by appointment; its former /kayaks/ page now returns a 404, and the livery listing's phone number (715-284-5181) differs from the current site's contact (715-896-0726). This may be outdated information -- call ahead to confirm kayak/canoe rentals are still offered.
W11099 Clark Rd, Black River Falls, WI 54615 (a few miles west of Wazee Lake)
Backstory
Wazee Lake was originally a taconite (iron ore) open-pit mine that operated from the mid-1960s through April 1983, producing about 850,000 tons of taconite pellets annually before closing amid a downturn in domestic steel markets; once pumping stopped, the pit filled with water to form the lake now managed as a Jackson County park.
Wazee Beach: FAQ
Does Wazee Beach charge a fee?
Jackson County charges an annual park pass ($30, $15 for a second pass in the same household), camping fee ($20/night), and separate scuba diving fees (daily dive $5, annual dive pass $40).
Is Wazee Beach kid friendly?
The county park maintains a separate designated swimming beach apart from the lake's scuba-diving zones, but Wazee Lake overall is Wisconsin's deepest inland lake (~355 ft) with steep drop-offs from its former open-pit-mine walls and submerged mining infrastructure once you leave the shallow beach area. No lifeguard presence was confirmed in any source, so supervise kids closely and keep them within the marked beach/swim area.
Do I need to hike to reach Wazee Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Wazee Beach?
Jackson County charges via an annual park pass system rather than a per-visit fee; exact lot size, surface, or distance from the beach was not specified in any source found.
When is the best time to visit Wazee Beach?
The park officially opens April 15 each year, with Memorial Day through Labor Day treated as the peak/reservation season (a separate summer reservation phone line is used during that window).
What are the rules at Wazee Beach?
The lake is managed as a non-motorized waterway to protect water quality and keep recreation low-impact; a no-hunt/no-trap map is also maintained for the park.
What water body is Wazee Beach on?
Wazee Beach is on Trowe Drain, a natural quarry verified in USGS hydrography data.
