Sawyer
No
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Spider - Clear Lake, in the Lake Chippewa Watershed, is a 1,194.30 acre lake that falls in Sawyer County. This lake is an outstanding/exceptional resource water under NR102 under the Fisheries Program. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1969, Surface Water Resources of Sawyer County Spider Lake, T42N, R7W,
A hard water, drainage lake with an outlet, Spider Creek, flowing into the North Fork of the Chief River. The normal estimated flow of the outlet is 2.5 cfs. A one-foot head, water control structure privately operated stabilizes the level of the lake. Spider Lake is comprised of three major basins, Big Spider - 745 acres, Little Spider - 410 acres, and Clear Lake 300 acres. There is also a channel to nearby Fawn and North Lakes. The most abundant fish species in Spider Lake are walleye, muskellunge, largemouth bass, perch, bluegill, rock bass, and white suckers. Other species present include smallmouth bass, black crappies, pumpkinseeds, bullheads, and various minnows. About 85 percent of the shoreline is hard bottom composed of sand, gravel, rubble and boulder. The remaining 15 percent borders tamarack bog, tag alder, shrub swamp, and sedge meadow wetlands and has a muck bottom. The wetlands on the immediate drainage area of the lake totals 430 acres and provides netting habitat for ducks. A considerable number of other waterfowl are found here during migration periods. commercial facilities include 15 resorts and two private campgrounds. There are also 99 cottages and dwellings on the lake. A public access is located at the outlet on the west side of Spider Creek. Public frontage includes the shoreline at the present access site and three additional undeveloped platted accesses and the shoreline of 12 islands owned by the Department of Natural Resources. A local ordinance restricts fast boating to mid-day hours.
Surface Acres = 1,454.3, Maximum Depth = 60 feet, M.P.A. = 59 ppm, Secchi Disk = 12 feet
Date 1969
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
General Condition
Spider - Clear Lake (WBIC 2435700) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting these designated uses and was not considered impaired.
Date 2017
Author Ashley Beranek
Condition
Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.
Reports
Recommendations
Best Management Practices, Implement
Spider Chain of Lakes Association will implement best practices described in Wisconsin's 2014-2017 Healthy Lakes Implementation Plan. Practices include: two 350 ft2 native plantings, one fish sticks project, one rain garden, one diversion practice, and one rock infiltration practice on 1 property. The best practices require a contract to remain in effect for 10 years and must include minimum operation and maintenance requirements and data collection as described in grant condition #16.
Habitat Restoration - Shoreland
Practices include: two 350 ft2 native plantings, one fish sticks project, one rain garden, one diversion practice, and one rock infiltration practice on 1 property.
Educate and engage residents
The Town of Spider Lake proposes to develop a Comprehensive Land Use Plan to guide the community in establishing the long range goals, Town ordinances, and the organization of Town Government and citizen groups to protect and enhance the quality of water in our lakes and the natural lake ecosystems.
Management Goals
Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable
Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.
Monitoring
Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.
Grants and Management Projects
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 583064 | Spider Lake - Big Spider Basin | 5/20/1992 | 10/11/2023 | Map | Data |
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 10018582 | Spider Lake -- Access at Heinemann's Landing - SE Side Of Lake | 5/13/2007 | 10/21/2023 | Map | Data |
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 583048 | Spider Lake - Little Spider Basin | 6/10/1989 | 10/11/2023 | Map | Data |
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 583171 | Spider Lake - Little Spider Basin Big Bay | 5/24/2002 | 10/11/2023 | Map | Data |
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 583100 | Spider Lake - Little Spider Basin | | | Map | Data |
| 2435700 | Spider Lake | 10005658 | Spider Lake | 9/5/2000 | 6/3/2022 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Spider Lake is located in the Lake Chippewa watershed which is 182.90 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (69.10%), open (16.50%) and a mix of wetland (12.70%) and other uses (1.60%). This watershed has 117.68 stream miles, 4,827.59 lake acres and 14,304.38 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Low for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.