Lake Property – How to Pick the Perfect Lake
It’s easy to understand why people fall in love with Wisconsin Lakes. Lakes are magical and each of the 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin has its own personality. Here are some things to consider when picking the lake that is right for you:
1. PRICE The bigger the lake, the higher the price. Large lakes and chains of lakes offer the most amenities, but they are also the busiest lakes.
2. RECREATION A ‘full rec’ lake means you can enjoy just about any type of water recreation on them including water skiing, fishing, canoeing, etc. Keep in mind that there are no wake areas for boats (100 feet from the shoreline) and for personal water crafts and jet skis (200 feet from the shoreline). So the lake needs to be wide enough to accommodate these water crafts.
3. QUIET A large lake, especially one that is part of a chain of lakes can get pretty busy. Check out the number of public landings on the lake and you will get an idea of how popular the lake is. If you don’t want to have jet skis and water skiers buzzing past your cottage, find a smaller lake.
4. QUALITY Water quality can vary dramatically from lake to lake. In Northern Wisconsin lakes range from crystal clear to deep brown. The dark water lakes are not dirty; they get their color from tannins found in adjoining swamps. Often these lakes are considered some of the best fishing waters, but are not as desirable for swimming.
5. QUANTITY The water level of seepage lakes, the most common type of lake in Wisconsin, fluctuates with the water table. If there is a drought for a number of years the water level of seepage lakes will drop. As the water table fills back up, so does the lake. You will want to check how deep the lake is along the shoreline. If it’s very shallow you may have problems getting access to the water when the level drops.
For more information on Wisconsin lakes go to: http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes
Sandy Ebben, Vice President and Manager of First Weber’s Rhinelander office, is a Lake Mildred resident and has shared other photos of living on the lake and insights into Northwoods, Wisconsin living.