6.92 Miles
7.45 - 14.37
Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem
2016
Good
Marinette
Yes
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
The Upper Middle Inlet is one of the major tributaries contributing nutrients to Lake Noquebay. It is classified as a Class II Trout water for the first 7.45 miles of the stream and a Class I Trout water for the next seven miles. The entire length of the stream is considered an Outstanding Resource Water.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
General Condition
Upper Middle Inlet was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus and biological (fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use 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
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
| Project Name (Click for Details) | Year Started |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 526100 | Upper Middle Inlet | 10017086 | Upper Middle Inlet - Nejedlo Road | 10/14/1992 | 10/17/2016 | Map | Data |
| 526100 | Upper Middle Inlet | 10032272 | Upper Middle Inlet - Nejedlo Rd N | 1/1/2015 | 8/22/2016 | Map | Data |
| 526100 | Upper Middle Inlet | 10033939 | Upper Middle Inlet DS Perch Lake Road | 7/13/2011 | 10/3/2016 | Map | Data |
| 526100 | Upper Middle Inlet | 10038331 | Upper Middle Inlet - Dean Rd | | | Map | Data |
| 526100 | Upper Middle Inlet | 10047126 | Upper Middle Inlet 60 Meters US Dean Road | 7/7/2016 | 7/7/2016 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Upper Middle Inlet is located in the Middle Inlet and Lake Noquebay watershed which is 155.58 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (45%), wetland (34.60%) and a mix of agricultural (8.80%) and other uses (11.50%). This watershed has 145.85 stream miles, 3,254.49 lake acres and 28,278.00 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, High for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. 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.
Upper Middle Inlet is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem under the state's Natural Community Determinations.
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.
Cool (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.
The Upper Middle Inlet Creek forms part of the Middle Inlet watershed and is a tributary to the Middle Inlet Creek. The watershed is forested and contains some agricultural land and is almost entirely in private ownership. It has a total stream length of 13.5 miles, with a surface area of 15.8 acres and an average width of 16 feet.
Trout Unlimited purchased a 48 acre parcel of land between McMahon Road and Highway 141 and donated it the State of Wisconsin in 1985. This is the only public land located on the Upper Middle Inlet Creek which leads to this section of the creek having some of the highest fishing pressure on this system.
The section of Upper Middle Inlet Creek between McMahon Road and Highway 141 has had several habitat improvement projects conducted on it over the years. The major habitat work included a sand trap that was constructed just downstream of the Highway 141 bridge crossing in 1986. A sand trap serves as a repository for sand upstream of the trap and lessens
the amount of sand traveling downstream that may impair trout habitat. This sand trap is periodically dredged out. In 1993 , several bank cover tructures were installed as well as some boulders placed in the creek.
The drought of 1987 - 1989 led to a season closure with catch and release allowed in 1989 and a total closure to fishing in 1990 opening again in 1991 to a catch and release season with artificial lures only. The fishing season reopened in 1992 and was reclassified to a category 2 trout stream with a 7 inch minimum size limit. Scheduled stocking of brook trout has occurred almost annually from 1943-2001. There have been no trout stocked into
the Upper Middle Inlet Creek since 2001.
The upper Middle Inlet Creek has 6 access points provided at road crossings. These are located on Dean Road, Nejedlo Road (2 crossings), Highway 141, McMahon Road (State owned land), and on Creek Road. The current (2005) fishing regulations class Upper Middle Inlet Creek as a category 2 trout stream. With a 7 inch size limit for all trout species and a daily bag limit of 5 in total. You may obtain a copy of current fishing regulations when you purchase your fishing license, or download a copy from our web site at: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/
Date 2013
Author Justine Hasz