Puckaway Lake

Puckaway Lake also referred to as Lake Puckaway is a lake in Green Lake County and Marquette County, Wisconsin.[2] The lake has a surface area of 5,013 acres (20.29 km2) and a max depth of 5 ft (1.5 m).[3] Most of the lake has a muck bottom and is shallow with an average depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).

Puckaway Lake
Puckaway Lake
Puckaway Lake
LocationGreen Lake County and Marquette County, Wisconsin
Coordinates43.755656°N 89.1967752°W / 43.755656; -89.1967752
Native nameNative American word meaning "wild rice field"[1]
Part ofFox–Wisconsin Waterway
Primary inflowsFox River
Primary outflowsFox River
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length27 mi (43 km)
Surface area5,013 acres (7.833 sq mi; 20.29 km2)
Average depth3 ft (0.91 m)
Max. depth5 ft (1.5 m)
Water volume15,327 acre⋅ft (18,906,000 m3)
Shore length127.6 mi (44.4 km) and 6.2 mi (10.0 km) for islands
Surface elevation764 feet (233 m)
IslandsZacharias Island
SettlementsMarquette
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

History

In 1673, French explorer Jacques Marquette, made a passage through the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway from Green Bay to the Mississippi River. Travelling through Puckaway Lake, he stated "the route is broken by so many swamps and small lakes that it is easy to lose one'sway, especially as the river is so full of wild rice that it is difficult to find the channel."[4] Puckaway Lake is a natural formed lake however, the water level has been raised. In 1897, a lock and dam was built on the Fox River by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, eight miles downstream from the lake near Princeton.[5] This was done with hopes of raising the water level enough for commercial use of the river. By 1922, it was realized that this would not be feasible, and the lock was decommissioned however the dam remains.[6]

Recreation

There are seven public boat landings around the lake.

Fishing

Recreational fishing is frequent on Puckaway Lake. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources lists six different species of fish in the lake: Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye and Catfish. In 1952, the state record 38 lb (17 kg) northern pike was caught on Puckaway Lake.[7]

Invasive Species

First observed in 1984, invasive species have been found in Puckaway Lake. There are Brittle Waternymph, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Hybrid Eurasian / Northern Water-Milfoil, and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia. To stop the spread of invasive species in the Fox River Waterway, multiple locks have been permanently closed. This has been done to prevent other invasive species from the Great Lakes.

See also

List of lakes of Wisconsin

References
  1. "Puckaway Lake, Marquette County". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  2. "Report for Puckaway Lake". USGNIS. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  3. "Puckaway Lake". Wisconsin DNR. Wisconsin.gov. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  4. Greer, Allan. "The-Jesuit-Relations". Academia. p. 194. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  5. "PRINCETON LOCK AND DAM". Wisconsin DNR. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. "Lake Puckaway". Lake Lubbers. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. "HOOK AND LINE RECORD FISH". Wisconsin DNR. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
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