| Fish Lake Wildlife Area | |
| Alt Name: | Fish Lake State Wildlife Area |
| Iucn Category: | V |
| Map: | Wisconsin#USA |
| Location: | Burnett County, Wisconsin |
| Nearest City: | Grantsburg, WI |
| Area Acre: | 13,649 |
| Established: | 1946 |
| Governing Body: | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
The Fish Lake Wildlife Area(FLWA) is a tract of protected land located in Burnett County, Wisconsin, managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).[1] Lands to be included in the wildlife area were first purchased in 1945 with the goal of restoring the conditions of the general area to what was observed in 1850, right before the first human settlements reached the area. The FLWA is made up of three separate areas, the Fish Lake Habitat Management Area, the Fish Lake Pines State Natural Area and the Grettum Flowage Wildlife Refuge zone.
The lake for which the wildlife area is named has an area of and a maximum depth of 29feet. The lake is noted for being exceptionally clear in both the east and west basin, with water clarity, perception, and color all receiving the best possible grades.[2] [3] [4] [5] Boat access to the lake is provided via a boat landing off of Pine Knoll Lane.[6]
The first portion of land that was labelled as part of the FLWA had an area of and was seized as tax-delinquent land. The FLWA was included in the Glacial Lake Grantsburg property complex, which also includes the Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area and the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, and as such was subject to the long range goal of all three units being managed for waterfowl.
In 1975 the first master plan was approved for the wildlife area, which now had an area of, excluding the of private land that was considered within the boundaries of the wildlife area.
| Cover type | Acres | Percentage cover |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen and white birch | 1,136 | 8% |
| Firebreaks | 248 | 2% |
| Grass and upland brush | 1,385 | 10% |
| Grass marsh | 6,301 | 48% |
| Oak | 1,684 | 12% |
| Open water | 478 | 4% |
| Pine | 1,940 | 15% |
| Swamp hardwoods | 148 | 1% |
| Total Acreage | 13,240 | 100% |
| Current cover type | Acres | Percentage Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen | 981 | 7% |
| Developed | 10 | <1% |
| Field | 100 | <1% |
| Grassland | 1,063 | 8% |
| Non-forested wetland | 6,080 | 45% |
| Oak | 3,333 | 25% |
| Swamp conifer | 10 | <1% |
| Swamp hardwood | 40 | <1% |
| Upland conifer | 639 | 5% |
| Upland hardwood | 111 | <1% |
| Water | 1,242 | 9% |
| Total Acreage | 13,609 | 100% |
There are several different types of trees residing in the Wildlife Area, the most prominent being oak, maple, hemlock, and red pine. In addition to the varied flora, in both Swan Lake and the surrounding marshland, musky, Northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye and northern pike are commonly found. Besides sea dwelling fauna, black tern, turkey and shorebirds have been known to frequent the area.