Bone Lake (Wisconsin)

Bone Lake
LocationPolk County, Wisconsin
Coordinates45°32′02″N 92°23′34″W / 45.53389°N 92.39278°W / 45.53389; -92.39278
TypeLake
Primary outflowsFox Creek
Managing agencyBone Lake Management District
Surface area6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi)
Shore length120.11 km (12.50 mi)
Location
Interactive map of Bone Lake
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Bone Lake is a 1,667-acre (675 ha) drainage lake located in Polk County, Wisconsin.[1] The lake has a maximum depth of 43 ft (13 m) with an average depth of 20 ft (6.1 m) and drains into Fox Creek.[1] The lake and its surrounding area provide habitat to a number of species, and recent efforts have been taken to control potentially invasive species. The lake is managed by the Bone Lake Management District, while fisheries laws are enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.[2]

History

The modern lake is a product of the Last Ice Age and is located in an area historically controlled by the Ojibwe (Chippewa) who called the lake "Onondogacona".[3] The natives in this area maintained numerous mound sites, some of which are preserved today by the Wisconsin Historical Society.[4] Following the Treaty of July 29, 1837 (7 Stat. 536) which was proclaimed on June 15, 1838, the land was ceded to the United States of America.[5] The treaty included phrases ensuring that this land could be used by European settlers for hunting, trapping, and fishing.[6]

By the 20th century, Polk County was settled by a new wave of European immigrants. These migrants, mostly from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, focused on industry related to agriculture and timber.[7] By the 20th century, the area surrounding the lake had been privatized, with the lake's shoreline slated to become highly desirable real estate. By 2000, nearly all of the 12.5 mi (20.1 km) of shoreline was privately owned.[8] Between May and November 2014, officials conducted a targeted herbicide treatment, aimed at reducing issues caused by curly-leaf pondweed.[9] In 2024, zebra mussels, a highly invasive species from Asia, were first spotted in the lake, and ongoing efforts are under way to control their population.[10]

Habitat

Bone Lake's watershed is predominantly forests (48%) and agriculture (20%). The lake and its surrounding area provide habitat to a number of species of flora and fauna, including:[11][12][13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b "Bone Lake Near Luck, WI". waterdataui-production.wma.chs.usgs.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "Bone Lake Management District". www.bonelakewi.com. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "Tribal Lands Map". Wisconsin First Nations. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  4. ^ www.bonelakewi.com https://www.bonelakewi.com/AboutBoneLake.php?newsid=3779. Retrieved August 20, 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "1837 Treaty". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  6. ^ "1837 Land Cession Treaties with the Ojibwe & Dakota". www.treatiesmatter.org. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "Ethnic Groups in Wisconsin: Historical Background". Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "History". Town Of Bone Lake. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  9. ^ "Curly-leaf pondweed | (Potamogeton crispus) | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  10. ^ "Zebra Mussel | (Dreissena polymorpha) | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  11. ^ "Plant native plants to help nature | | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  12. ^ "Fisheries survey reports | Fishing Wisconsin | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "Wisconsin Lakes". apps.dnr.wi.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  14. ^ "Reptiles and Amphibians of Polk County, Wisconsin - Phenology Project". phenology.mwparc.org. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
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