Nothing was left but sand and stumps. But, in just 11 months, repairs have been made and the lake has been restored.
Businesses that depend on tourists lost most of their customers. But if they return this holiday weekend some say they'll be amazed.
"Eleven months later, there's a lake here. As a community, that's something the Wisconsin Dells is proud of," said Joe Eck, GM of Wilderness Resorts.
"We've all be doing happy dances, all of us lake owners. It's a beautiful sight," said Dawn Baker, Sunset Bay Resort.
The state and the Village of Lake Delton paid about $10 million to repair and refill the lake.
