Lake Winnebago ( Menominee : Wenepekōw Nepēhsæh , Ojibwe : Wiinibiigoo-zaaga'igan , Oneida : kanyataláheleˀ ) is a shallow freshwater lake in the north central United States , located in east central Wisconsin . At 137,700 acres, it is the largest lake entirely within the state, covering an area of about 30 miles by 10 miles with 88 miles of shoreline, an average depth of 15.5 feet, and a maximum depth of 21 feet. It has many shallow reefs along the west shore and a drop-off type shoreline on the east. There are several islands along the west shore.
33-449: The lake has two primary tributaries, the Wolf and Fox Rivers , which combine at Lake Butte des Morts . The Fox River flows east through Oshkosh and into Lake Winnebago at its west central shore, then flows out at the northwest shore, around Doty Island at Neenah - Menasha to Little Lake Butte des Morts . The river then flows northeast and empties into Green Bay and serves as part of
66-562: A deadly fish disease, the proposal has not yet been implemented, and the capture and relocation program has continued. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are small, freshwater, bivalve shellfish native to the Caspian and Black Seas south of Russia and Ukraine. They can clog water intakes and pipes, encrust piers, boats and motors, and cut the feet of swimmers. Zebra mussels have been found in less than 5% of Wisconsin lakes predicted to be suitable for zebra mussels. However, they were detected in
99-418: A nature center which explains the geology of the area, including the drumlins , Niagara Escarpment and other post-glacial features. There are several caves that visitors can tour by appointment. There is a tower where visitors can view the countryside and Chilton. The park features three natural solution caves. Calumet County Park is located approximately four miles northwest of Stockbridge, Wisconsin along
132-460: A trip from the east shore to the west shore at Oshkosh every two weeks in the 1880s during the summer season. Lake Winnebago is known for having occasional ice shoves on very windy days in March as the winter ice breaks up. Residents have described that it "sounds like a freight train." Buildings directly on the shoreline have been wrecked by the shoves, which are up to 25 feet high. Lake Winnebago
165-472: A viable naturally reproducing population, which are highly prized for the taste of their flesh, and also for their eggs. Female sturgeon deposit their eggs only about every four to six years, starting at 20 years old, up to their life span of 50 years. At this age, the sturgeon are five feet long. The fish spawn in the shallows of the Wolf river, as they swim upstream. In order to protect the spawning locations of
198-411: Is a 400-acre (1.6 km) municipal park on the southern shore of Lake Winnebago with picnic areas, shelters/gazebos, a playground, a deer park, baseball diamonds, a marina, and boat launch ramps. Train rides, an old fashioned carousel, bumper boats, aqua bikes, and canoes are available for rides. A petting zoo is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The Fond du Lac River enters Lake Winnebago on
231-425: Is a remnant of Glacial Lake Oshkosh approximately 12,000 years ago. Ice blocked water from entering Lake Michigan at Green Bay , and the glacial lake ponded against ice since it had no outlet. The Niagara Escarpment is a few miles east of Lake Winnebago. The softer Ordovician rocks that underlie the lake have eroded away, and the stronger Silurian rocks stand as a ridge that formed the lake basin. In 1634,
264-637: Is in February. The first year of regulated sturgeon spearing was 1903, when an eight-pound limit was introduced. All sturgeon spearing was banned from 1915 to 1931. The lake had the largest population of sturgeon in the United States in 2003. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulates the number of fish taken each year. Late spring (between May 5 and June 30) is dominated by walleye and sauger fishing. Sauger, also known as sand pike, bite
297-533: Is known in the Menominee language as Mahwāēw-Sēpēw , "wolf river". The Wolf River rises in the southern Headwaters Wilderness of the Nicolet unit of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest , with the northernmost fork stemming from the confluence of Wildcat Creek and Pine Creek at Pine Lake in west central Forest County. The river flows south through Langlade and Menominee counties, where whitewater rafting
330-619: Is located along the lower Fox River and starts at the northwest corner of Lake Winnebago in the city of Menasha and ends at the mouth of Green Bay. One of the locks, the Rapid Croche Lock, is permanently sealed as a barrier to prevent the movement of sea lamprey upstream, and only three of the remaining locks were being maintained. Lock reconstruction is underway and is being supervised by the Fox River Navigation Authority. Many annual events take place on
363-559: Is not man-made, but its level was raised about three feet (0.9 m) by two dams on either side of Doty Island , erected in 1850 and 1930. The lake level is today regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet demands for flood control, to reduce ice damage to private property, to release water for hydropower and pollution dilution downstream, and to extend the high water season for boating. A system of seventeen locks connects Lake Winnebago to Lake Michigan at Green Bay, an elevation drop of about 150 feet (45 m). This lock system
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#1732776516767396-695: Is on the List of Registered Historic Places in Wisconsin . Calumet County Park is under the Calumet County Park Group , an archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Ledge View Nature Center has a nature center which explains the geology of the area. Ledge View Nature Center is located two miles south of Chilton, Wisconsin . The nature center was built in 1981. Visitors can walk or ski trails, or visit
429-868: Is probably the most prized fish on the river. The white bass or sand bass ( Morone chrysops ) is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae that also spawns in the Wolf River. While different fishing methods and techniques are used, the most common is the river rig (also known as the Wolf River rig). Two towns named for the river are on the river: Wolf River, Winnebago County and Wolf River, Langlade County . 44°05′33″N 88°41′33″W / 44.09250°N 88.69250°W / 44.09250; -88.69250 Calumet County Parks#Calumet County Park Calumet County , Wisconsin , maintains three county parks Calumet County Park, Becker's Lake Park and Ledge View Nature Center and Brothertown and Stockbridge harbors. The Stockbridge harbor
462-633: Is well known. Menominee County is mostly within the boundaries of the federally recognized Menominee Indian Reservation . Next the Wolf River flows through Shawano County , where it collects the Red River , passes by the city of Shawano . It then flows through Waupaca and Outagamie counties and back into Waupaca County , where it collects the Embarrass River and the Little Wolf at the city of New London . The Wolf River then collects
495-689: The Fox River in northeastern Wisconsin in the Great Lakes region of the United States . The river is one of the two National Scenic Rivers in Wisconsin, along with the St. Croix River . The scenic portion is 24 miles (39 km) long. The river and its parent the Fox River and associated lakes are known for their sturgeon which spawn every spring upstream on the lower river until blocked by
528-569: The Fox-Wisconsin Waterway . Lake Winnebago is part of a larger system of lakes in Wisconsin known as the Winnebago Pool . Cities on its shores include the aforementioned Oshkosh, Neenah, and Menasha, as well as Fond du Lac at the south shore. Municipal drinking water systems serving over 200,000 people draw directly from the lake, including systems serving the cities of Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, and Appleton . The lake
561-584: The Waupaca River , then flows through Partridge Lake . The river then flows through Winnebago County and into Lake Poygan and Lake Winneconne. It finally goes through the village of Winneconne to empties into Lake Butte des Morts on the Fox River . Principal tributaries of the river include Wildcat Creek and Pine Creek (headwaters), Pine River, Rat River, Waupaca River, Little Wolf River, Embarrass River, Shioc River , Red River, Evergreen River , Lily River, and Hunting River. The river drains into
594-489: The Winnebago Pool , including shoreline concerts, fishing tournaments, power boat events, pleasure boating rallies, windsurfing, sail runs and ice racing. Along with the upper lakes of Big Lake Butte des Morts , Winneconne, Poygan, the Wolf River and the upper and lower Fox River, it is a popular pleasure boating area. A 1989 survey of boating intensity by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ranked
627-695: The Fox River at Lake Butte des Morts then via the Fox River into Lake Winnebago and then into lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan drains northerly via the Straits of Mackinac into Lake Huron then south and east through the Great Lakes waterways into the St. Lawrence River, which flows northeasterly into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the Atlantic Ocean. Environmentalists were concerned about preserving
660-574: The French encountered the Ho-Chunk on the shores of Green Bay, inhabiting the area stretching to Lake Winnebago. Although " Ho-Chunk " is the people's own name for themselves, their Algonquian neighbors called them "Winnebago", which means "[people of the] stinking water." This term was used by the Algonquians because Lake Winnebago had a strong fish odor in the summer. The steamer B. F. Carter made
693-599: The Shawano Dam. The river flows through mostly undeveloped forestland southerly from central Forest County in the north to Lake Poygan (west of Lake Winnebago ) in the south. The lake is part of the Winnebago Pool of lakes fed by both the Fox and Wolf Rivers. The Fox-Wolf basin is usually considered to be a single unified basin and the rivers themselves may be referred to as the Fox-Wolf River system . The river
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#1732776516767726-883: The WDNR in conjunction with the Menominee tribe, implemented a sturgeon capture and relocation program to populate the river above the dams with mature sturgeon. Eggs and young fish were also used to achieve a breeding population of sturgeon in Legend Lake, a 1304 acre lake in Menominee County. Sturgeon successfully spawned at the falls the following year. The tribe has proposed that fishways be constructed around both dams to allow spawning from populations in Lake Winnebago. However, due to concerns about aquatic invasive species and Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS),
759-688: The Winnebago Pool as the state's busiest inland waterway, surpassing the Mississippi River. High Cliff State Park on the lake's northeast shore offers camping, hiking trails, views of the lake, a marina, beach, an observation tower, and picnic areas. Camping is available at Calumet County Park and Columbia County Park in Fond du Lac County . Effigy mounds overlook the lake at High Cliff and Calumet County Park. Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac
792-481: The Winnebago Pool including the Wolf River as early as 1999. There are many different species of fish in the river. In 2016, the Wisconsin state record Quillback was caught in the Wolf River. It was 25.0 inches (64 cm) long and weighed 9 pounds 15.8 ounces (4.53 kg). The Winnebago system, including Wolf and Fox Rivers and associated lakes, is home to the largest population of Lake Sturgeon in
825-572: The best in cooler water. June fishing is the peak time for white bass, and July for perch. Fishing declines in fall. The setting for Dr. Seuss's classic children's book Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose is "Lake Winna-Bango" on the "far northern shore." The lake is one of thirteen shown in James Benning's film 13 Lakes . Wolf River (Fox River) The Wolf River is a 225 mi (362 km) long tributary of
858-465: The east shore of Lake Winnebago . Visitors can camp in the summer, walk trails in the summer, and downhill ski in the winter. The Niagara Escarpment is prominent in the park. The park contains a post-Civil War brickyard. There are several Native American effigy mounds in the upper campground portion of the park. It is open all year round. Based on its name, it seems possible that part or all of Calumet county park group, an archeological site listed on
891-854: The eastern border of the park. Menominee Park in Oshkosh features trails, fishing piers, boat launches, a zoo, a small amusement park, and softball, tennis and basketball facilities. It is the former site of the city's Sawdust Days Festival in July. Lake Winnebago is one of the more heavily fished lakes in the state. Many fishermen consider it one of the nation's top walleye fisheries. Other species present include bluegill , largemouth bass , muskellunge , northern pike , perch , burbot , white bass , crappie , freshwater drum , channel catfish , flathead catfish , and smallmouth bass . In June 2010, Oshkosh hosted an event recognized by Guinness World Records as history's largest fishing tournament. A 2007 study put
924-452: The economic value of recreational fishing at approximately $ 300 million per year. Ice fishing is popular on Lake Winnebago, and it is not uncommon for 10,000 cars to park on it during the ice fishing season. Expansion cracks on the ice are bridged, and many cities along the east and west shores plow roads on the icy surface. Sauger and walleye predominate, with rare perch and white bass catches. The spearfishing season for lake sturgeon
957-515: The national register of historic places, is within this or other Calumet County parks. The location of the archeological site is not disclosed. Becker's Lake Park is the newest addition to the park system. Prairie grass has been planted, and wetlands have been constructed. The harbors are located near the city of Stockbridge , and the town of Brothertown , and both are part of the Calumet County Parks system. The Stockbridge harbor
990-647: The river when the Crandon mine was proposed near a tributary of the river. The Crandon Mine was purchased by the Sokaogon Mole Lake Chippewa Band tribe in 2003 to prevent development that would adversely affect the river. The campaign to stop the Crandon Mine on the Wisconsin's Wolf River was the result of successful coalition-building efforts amongst Wisconsin's indigenous groups, environmentalists, and rural citizens. Two dams on
1023-416: The sturgeon from poaching when the fish are the most vulnerable, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources formed a citizen sturgeon guard called Sturgeon For Tomorrow in the early 1990s. They volunteer to watch over the spawning sites during the spawning season. The walleye is very popular during their spawning period, during the spring. Many fishermen set out to catch their daily limit. The walleye
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1056-491: The upper Wolf River block sturgeon from returning to their historic spawning grounds at Keshena Falls on the Menominee Reservation: the Shawano Dam 125 mi. upstream from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Balsam Row Dam 5.5 miles above the Shawano Dam, both constructed in the late 1800s. The result was that for over 100 years no sturgeon (or other fish) spawned in the waters above the Shawano Dam. Starting in 2012,
1089-488: The world. The sturgeon which spawn annually in the springtime in the Wolf River and its parent, the Fox River , between approximately April 15 and May 5, as they swim upstream from Lake Winnebago . It is estimated that the extent of the Lake Sturgeon has dropped to about one-tenth of its population in the state since year 1800. This species, which has existed since the time of the dinosaurs (100 million years ago), has
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