Price
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No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Pike Lake Chain, in the Upper South Fork Flambeau River Watershed, is a 740.64 acre lake that falls in Price County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2018
Author Ashley Beranek
Historical Description
Source: 1983, Surface Water Resources of Price County,WI: WI-DNR Pike Lake - T40N, R3E, Sec. 11, 12, 25, 26, 35, 36.
This soft water, drainage lake has an outlet flow of 12.4 ft(3)/sec to Round Lake and Flambeau River South Fork system. The lake level is controlled by a 10-ft head dam on the Round Lake outlet. Pike lake has five tributary streams: Rice Creek from the northeast, Squaw Creek and a feeder creek from the east, Foulds Creek from the south, and one unnamed feeder from the west. The lake is long and has two state-owned islands in the middle off the east shore and three privately owned islands in the bay off the Squaw Creek inlet. Its fish population includes muskellunge, northern pike, walleyes, perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegills, black crappies, rock bass, pumpkinseeds, black bullheads, white suckers, redhorse and trout perch. Upland hardwood ana conifer occupy 95% of the shoreline with several small tag alder-willow swamps the remainder. The littoral bottom is made up of 50% sand, 27% gravel, 3% rubble and 20% muck. All three types of aquatic vegetation--submergent, floating and emergent--are found scattered along the shoreline. A large number of mallards, teal and wood ducks nest here, and other ducks and geese use the lake caring their spring and fall migrations. Furbearer use is important with both beaver and muskrats present. Private development consists of 10 resorts and 74 cottages or homes. Public access is available off the town road at the Squaw Creek inlet and there is a navigable water access from Round Lake which has two public boat landings.
Surface area = 879.3 Acres, maximum depth = 17 ft, MPA = 30 ppm. Secchi Disk
Date 1983
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Impaired Waters
Pike Lake was assessed for phosphorus and algae every two-year cycle from 2012 to 2022; impairments of phosphorus, excess algal growth, and eutrophication were first found in 2016 and confirmed in the subsequent cycles.
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
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 |
|---|
| 2268300 | Pike Lake | 10020256 | Pike - Round Lake Chain -- Access | | | Map | Data |
| 2268300 | Pike Lake | 10047886 | Swamp on old Pine Forest resort site on Pike Lake | 7/20/2014 | 7/23/2015 | Map | Data |
| 2268300 | Pike Lake | 513125 | Pike Lake - Deep Hole | 7/18/1973 | 2/12/1975 | Map | Data |
| 2268300 | Pike Lake | 513095 | Pike Lake - Deep Hole | 5/21/1996 | 8/21/2024 | Map | Data |
| 2268300 | Pike Lake | 10005249 | Pike Lake | 4/8/1998 | 7/1/2019 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Pike Lake is located in the Upper South Fork Flambeau River watershed which is 278.98 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (54.80%), wetland (38.80%) and a mix of open (4.60%) and other uses (1.70%). This watershed has 254.56 stream miles, 8,509.29 lake acres and 63,099.27 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked 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.