About the Contents of Individual Lake Info.

This booklet contains information on all named lakes in Wisconsin and all unnamed lakes of more than 20 acres. The lakes are listed alphabetically by county. The following notes may help you use this publication.

Lake Name

The official name is listed according to "Wisconsin Geographical Names" and as shown on U.S. Geological Survey 7 1/2 minute quadrangle maps. Many lakes also have a different local name, which is listed after the official name.

Surface Area

This column provides information on the lake size of a lake in acres. For lakes that span state lines total acreage is given in the column under surface area and the Wisconsin acreage is listed in parenthesis after the lake name.

Maximum Depth

The maximum depth in feet is recorded at the deepest point in a lake. All lakes in this publication have a maximum depth listed.

Mean Depth

The mean depth in feet is an average determined from the lake volume and area. Not all lakes have a mean depth listed, only those with completed lake survey maps.

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Public Access

Detailed access information is available for most counties in the state. Many public fishing piers are now wheelchair-accessible. For information on specific access sites, contact your nearest DNR office. Each office has a copy of Fishing and Boating Access for Everyone. Copies of individual location maps with descriptions of the amenities available at that site can be provided to you. In the column titled "Public Access," the following abbreviations describe existing access where information is available:

BR

Boat Ramp. These are sites with a defined public boat launching facility which may or may not have parking.

BF

Barrier-free Boat Ramp. These sites have a boarding dock or means of wheelchair access to boats.

P

Barrier-free Pier. These piers were designed to accommodate wheelchairs.

T

Walk in Trail. These access sites are partially developed, excluding a boat ramp, and are entirely within public lands.

R

Roadside. These sites do not include any access developments. Public roads with a marked right-of-way extending to the water provide a limited degree of access.

W

Wilderness in Public Ownership. A lake is in a wilderness area if there are no roads or buildings within 200 feet of the waterbody. Wilderness lakes have no defined walk-in trail to the water.

BW

Barrier-free Wilderness Access. These site have a firm surface to gain access to the water, but no special piers or ramps.

NW

Navigable Water. Navigable access is provided by the presence of an inlet or outlet stream which furnishes adequate boat access to a lake. A small stream not large enough to float a boat does not provide effective navigable access.

A few counties do not have detailed access information. For those waters marked with an "x," some type of access, other than navigable water access, is available. Regulations governing boat usage are effective on certain lakes and are posted at the public access sites.

Map

If a lake survey map showing the contour depths in a lake is available, an "X" appears in the column called "Map." Nearly half of all the named lakes in the state have been mapped. Lake survey maps provide valuable information for lake property owners and anglers who wish to know more about the lake depths.

Lake Type

The four lake types identified in this publication are defined on page one. The following abbreviations describe the category of lake type:

DG = Drainage lake
SE = Seepage lake
SP = Spring lake
DN = Drained lake

Species of fish

The relative abundance of various game fish species including muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, trout, catfish and sturgeon is listed. Abundance of a fish species is coded using the following symbols:

A = Abundant
C = Common
P = Present
The absence of any symbol means that a fish species is not
present.

Mercury in fish

Fish from about 600 Wisconsin lakes have been tested to measure the amount of mercury in the fillets. This publication identifies those lakes have been tested, and which ones contain advisories. Where there is mercury data, the following two symbols summarize the available information:

CK

One or more species present in the lake have been tested for mercury levels, and no advisory is necessary.

CA

One or more fish species present in the lake have been tested for mercury levels and the lake is under a consumption advisory.

(blank) No fish tested since 1995 is reported in this book.

Consult the latest issue of the fish consumption advisory for the sizes and species of fish affected. The DNR regularly publishes a fish consumption advisory which is available at DNR offices.

Lakes Partnership | Watershed Management | Fish Wisconsin | Fisheries Management