Oconto
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Wheeler Lake, in the Lower North Branch Oconto River Watershed, is a 281.37 acre lake that falls in Oconto County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1977, Surface Water Resources of Oconto County Wheeler Lake, T33N, R16E, Section 22
A medium hard water seepage lake having neutral, clear water of high transparency. The entire shoreline is upland, consisting of mixed hardwoods and conifers. Littoral materials consist of gravel (40 percent), rubble (30 percent), sand (20 percent) and muck (10 percent). Waterfowl make light use of this lake. The fish population consists of walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, bluegill, perch and white sucker. Public access with parking is available. One hundred twenty dwellings and two resorts are located along the shoreline.
Surface Acres = 293.0, Maximum Depth 35 feet, Secchi Disk = 13 feet
Date 1977
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
General Condition
Wheeler Lake (439800) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus and chlorophyll sample data were clearly below 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water is meeting these designated uses and is not considered impaired.
Date 2015
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
Lake Classification
The Town of Lakewood proposes to conduct a county-wide lake classification and ordinance study. The project will be used as a component in the larger land use planning process to create a set of recommended ordinances, or recommended amendments to existing ordinances for better protection of county lake resources.
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 |
|---|
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Assn, Inc 2018 CBCW | 2018 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Comp Lake Mgmt Plan Ph 1 | 2009 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake EWM Management | 2024 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake AIS Rapid Response Project | 2006 |
| TOWN OF LAKEWOOD: LCO-Town of Lakewood Class/Ordinance Project | 1998 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Comprehensive Lake Management Plan | 2019 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Comp Lake Mgmt Plan Phase 2 | 2009 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Early Detection & Respnse Project | 2009 |
| WHEELER LAKE ASSN, INC: Wheeler Lake Assn, Inc 2021 CBCW | 2021 |
|
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 10044051 | Wheeler Lake - Staff Gage | 8/26/2015 | 10/14/2024 | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 10018956 | Wheeler Lake -- Access at South End Of Lake | 5/5/2007 | 8/13/2024 | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 10041383 | Wheeler Lake - Wheeler Lake Picnic Ground Boat Ramp | | | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 433070 | Wheeler Lake - Deep Hole | 2/16/1976 | 9/1/2024 | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 434012 | Wheeler Lake - Wheeler Lake | 7/18/1979 | 7/18/1979 | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 10004148 | Wheeler Lake | 4/14/1976 | 3/13/2024 | Map | Data |
| 439800 | Wheeler Lake | 10014995 | Wheeler Lake - Lake Assessment | 5/5/1972 | 8/30/2023 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Wheeler Lake is located in the Lower North Branch Oconto River watershed which is 389.28 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (68.90%), wetland (22.60%) and a mix of agricultural (2.90%) and other uses (5.70%). This watershed has 410.78 stream miles, 5,377.75 lake acres and 51,397.21 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.