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Wind Lake Fishery Area

DNR Fisheries Areas

Wind Lake is a 936-acre lake with a mean depth of 9.6 feet and a maximum depth of 52 feet. Muck and marl cover about 85 percent of the lake bottom. Public access to Wind Lake is provided by commercial launching facilities, rental facilities, and a single public launch ramp with parking spaces. There are no public beaches on the shoreline of Wind Lake. The majority of the shore of the Lake is privately owned and developed and the few remaining undeveloped areas are contained with the Department's environmentally sensitive areas.

Wind Lake Fishery Area occupies almost the entire island on the west side of the Lake.

A large number of birds, ranging in size from large game birds to small songbirds, are found in the Wind Lake area. Game birds that are found in the drainage area include the pheasant, partridge, woodcock, snipe, rail, dabbling duck, diving duck, coot, and goose. Pheasant and partridge are upland game birds and provide some opportunities for hunting. Although the Wind Lake drainage area lies within the Mississippi flyway, opportunities for waterfowl hunting are now limited because of habitat deterioration and urbanization.

Location/Directions

The Wind Lake Fishery Fishery Area is on an island on the west side of Wind Lake and is only accessible by boat. Wind Lake is in northern Racine County 20 miles northwest of Racine and 10 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

Activities

Angling opportunities

Panfish dominate the Wind Lake fish community with large populations of bluegills and yellow perch present. Other important panfish species include black crappie, pumpkinseed, white crappie, black and brown bullheads. Game fish in Wind Lake include largemouth bass, walleyed pike, northern pike and channel catfish. Rough species include longnose gar, quillback, and white sucker; minnow species include golden minnow and common shiners.

Recreational Opportunities

  • Hunting
  • Trapping
  • Hiking
  • Snowshoeing
  • Wildlife viewing
  • Fishing
  • Bird watching
  • Berry and Mushroom Picking
  • Canoeing

Objective

Wind Lake Fishery Fishery Area is managed to maintain the quality, productivity and diversity of the Wind Lake ecosystem through management practices designed to preserve and restore fish and wildlife habitats.

Maps

Contacts/Partners

For questions and comments contact:

Wildlife Management