Sawyer
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Moose Lake, in the West Fork Chippewa River Watershed, is a 1,558.98 acre lake that falls in Sawyer County. 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 Moose Lake, T41N, R5W
A soft water, drainage impoundment on the West Fork of the Chippewa River. The Big and Little Moose Rivers also flow into this flowage. The fish population consists of muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and panfish. The Moose Lake dam is owned by the Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company. Originally constructed in 1875 to facilitate log driving, it has subsequently been used for reservoir purposes to impound water during periods of surplus flow for release during periods of low flow. Its normal estimated flow is 147 cfs. Draw down occurs in October and its maximum allowable decrease is seven feet. Thisshallow flowage has an extensive cover of rooted aquatic and log debris. Both nesting and migratory ducks as well as muskrats are common. Private development consists of 11 resorts and boat rental places, and 80 cottages. Two public accesses provide boat launching at a site near the dam and on the north shore. Of the 27.45 miles of shoreline, 4.44 miles are part of the Chequamegon National Forest. All the named and unnamed feeder streams to Moose Lake have warm water fish habitat.
Surface Acres = 1,601.6, Maximum Depth = 18 feet, M.P.A. = 27 ppm, Secchi Disk = 4 feet
Date 1969
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Impaired Waters
Moose Lake was originally included on the 303(d) list in 1998 due to mercury concentrations in fish tissue. This water was assessed for the 2012 listing cycle and the original listing due to mercury levels in fish tissue was confirmed. Moose Lake was evaluated every two-year cycle from 2014 to 2022; phosphorus was identified as a pollutant in the 2014 cycle and levels were elevated in subsequent cycles. In the 2022 cycle levels were low enough to warrant removal of this pollutant from the Impaired Waters List. The lake remains listed for mercury in fish tissue.
Date 2022
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
Information and Education
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 |
|---|
| 2420600 | Moose Lake | 10005632 | Moose Lake | 8/29/2000 | 9/21/2017 | Map | Data |
| 2420600 | Moose Lake | 583086 | Moose Lake - Deep Hole | 6/15/1995 | 9/3/2024 | Map | Data |
| 2420600 | Moose Lake | 584028 | Moose Lake - Moose Lake | 8/1/1979 | 8/1/1979 | Map | Data |
| 2420600 | Moose Lake | 10018194 | Moose Lake -- Access at W Side Of Lake | 7/30/2010 | 7/1/2022 | Map | Data |
| 2420600 | Moose Lake | 583210 | Moose Lake - Moose Lake | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Moose Lake is located in the West Fork Chippewa River watershed which is 284.78 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (62%), wetland (33.60%) and a mix of open (4.30%) and other uses (0%). This watershed has 256.71 stream miles, 6,208.10 lake acres and 60,035.54 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.