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Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area

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Chippewa Moraine Lakes
State Natural Area
Burnt Wagon Lake
Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area is located in Wisconsin
Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area
Location within Wisconsin
Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area is located in the United States
Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area
Location within the United States
LocationChippewa County, Wisconsin
Coordinates45°13′N 91°21′W / 45.217°N 91.350°W / 45.217; -91.350
Area306 acres (124 ha)[1]
Established2010[1]
OwnerChippewa County and Wisconsin DNR[1]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Wisconsin State Natural Areas

Chippewa Moraine Lakes is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area that comprises nine separate sites, spread out over roughly 30 square miles (78 km2). Each site features a primarily undisturbed lake located within the rough terminal moraine topography of northern Chippewa County. Each lake has its own unique species assemblage due to physical and chemical characteristics of the lake. The nine lakes are:

Camp Lake, a 6-acre (2.4 ha) lake ringed by a floating sphagnum bog mat containing such plant species as white beak rush, narrow-leaved sundew, small cranberry, and grass pink orchid.

Spence Lake, a 12-acre (4.9 ha), acidic bog lake that is the headwaters of Foster Creek. Conifer swamp surrounds the northern part of the lake, hardwood swamp surrounds the central part, while the southern part is largely a sedge meadow, impacted by beaver activity.

Bass Lake #1, a 6-acre (2.4 ha) soft-water seepage lake, with at least one rare plant species present.

Bass Lake #5, an 8-acre (3.2 ha), deep, hard-water seepage lake that is the main headwaters branch of Mud Creek.

Deer Lake, a 6-acre (2.4 ha) seepage lake that is also part of the headwaters of Mud Creek.

Burnt Wagon Lake, a 15-acre (6.1 ha) softwater seepage lake that is landlocked, with no development.

Fishpole Lake, an 11-acre (4.5 ha) meromictic lake. Due to its size, shape, and depth, the lake's water column is permanently thermally stratified, unlike most Wisconsin lakes, leading to unique chemical and biological characteristics.

Plummer Lake, a 41-acre (16.6 ha), deep, hard-water seepage lake.

Little Plummer Lake, a 10-acre (4 ha) wild (no access roads or development) hardwater seepage lake that drains into Plummer Lake.[2][3]

Location and access

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The nine lakes are located within the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area (part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve), and the Chippewa County Forest, in northern Chippewa County. A network of roads and trails in the Recreation Area and County Forest provide ways to access each of the lakes.[4][5][6]

Lakes

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Map this section's coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Lake Coordinates
(links to maps)		 Image
Camp Lake 45°17′27″N 91°19′53″W / 45.29083°N 91.33139°W / 45.29083; -91.33139 (Camp Lake)
Spence Lake 45°17′15″N 91°18′59″W / 45.28750°N 91.31639°W / 45.28750; -91.31639 (Spence Lake)
Bass Lake #1 45°13′14″N 91°16′54″W / 45.22056°N 91.28167°W / 45.22056; -91.28167 (Bass Lake #1)
Bass Lake #5 45°12′24″N 91°18′35″W / 45.20667°N 91.30972°W / 45.20667; -91.30972 (Bass Lake #5)
Deer Lake 45°12′21″N 91°18′08″W / 45.20583°N 91.30222°W / 45.20583; -91.30222 (Deer Lake)
Burnt Wagon Lake 45°10′58″N 91°20′40″W / 45.18278°N 91.34444°W / 45.18278; -91.34444 (Burnt Wagon Lake)
Fishpole Lake 45°11′41″N 91°20′19″W / 45.19472°N 91.33861°W / 45.19472; -91.33861 (Fishpole Lake)
Plummer Lake 45°13′04″N 91°20′48″W / 45.21778°N 91.34667°W / 45.21778; -91.34667 (Plummer Lake)
Little Plummer Lake 45°12′54″N 91°21′15″W / 45.21500°N 91.35417°W / 45.21500; -91.35417 (Little Plummer Lake)

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Chippewa Moraine Lakes". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Find A Lake (Chippewa Co.)". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Chippewa County Forest" (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. October 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 31, 2016.
  4. ↑ Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Natural Area (Map). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ Chippewa Moraine Lakes State Recreation Area (Map). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Chippewa County Recreational Trail Information". Chippewa County, WI. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
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