"The more isolated we are from nature, the more isolated we will feel from God. When I am in nature, surrounded by God's fingerprints, I find comfort." -Sally Clarkson
Our search for Wisconsin's clearest waters has taken us to Hartman Creek State Park near Waupaca, in Waupaca County.
Park rangers at the state park suggested Manomin & Knight lakes -part of a chain of 20+ lakes very near the state park.
MY GUIDE
The water looked clearfrom shore. Soon found out different. It's often hard to know the full extent of water clarity untill you're actually in the water.
Discouraged by the cloudy water, I decide to head in. Nearing the channel that leads to the boat put in -my starting point, a kayaker named Judy (she looks like Jane Goodall) pulls up beside me and asks what I'm up to.
After a brief talk she said, "Follow me."
I can't imagine a lake much different than the one I was in that would be within swimming distance, but I follow her, doing my best to keep up.
Back across Manomin lake, up a short channel, into & across another small lake called Pope. As she leads the way up another channel. There is a change -the water looks & even seems to feel different.
GRAND ENTRANCE
Exiting the channel into Marl Lake, I enter a beautiful, white bottomed, turquoise tinted, suprisingly clear lake.
Not a big lake. Looks to be about 200 yards across. Around the whole lake -about 10 yards from shore is a plummeting drop off that I found both creepy & alluring. The clarity adds to the intimidating feel, as you can see a good ways into that abyss. At 60 ft deep & only 14 acres, Marl is a deep lake for its size.
Along a shoreline edged with bulrush and water lilies, I immediately see & shoot a couple of crappie with my speargun for our fish fry.
Would have loved this lake even without seeing any fish. Fighting daylight, I swim back with plans to come back the next day. Which I did, and have been back a few times since.
To this day Marl lake is my favorite lake.
I think that build up -the long swim & suprise discovery, deepened my appreciation of it. It's become a sweet spot my mind often goes to when I need a happy place.
We all need places to go to when we feel the soul numbing effect of too much civilization. Visit once & the memories provide ongoing therapuetic value -a lingering divine fingerprint.
I struggle to find that balance between a hermits seclusion on one hand & a total acceptance of a life dominated by civilization on the other.
FOR THE FISHERMAN
Not loaded with panfish, but I did see plenty of Largemouth Bass -a couple in the 4-6 lb range, and probably more Northern Pike than any lake I've been in. Named after a fish, I would call this lake Pike Lake.
FOR THE PADDLER
The Waupaca Chain of lakes is divided into the Upper & Lower Chain. The best lakes for paddling are in the Upper Chain. These so called "slow" -No Wake- lakes are only accessed by small boats. The most popular kayak trips include Orlando, Knight, Manomin, Pope & Marl.
Everytime I come here I see kayakers. Marl lakes' connection with other lakes in this chain makes it a popular prize in an overall paddle trip. Wear polarized glasses -being a clear lake makes underwater sightseeing awesome.
GETTING TO MARL LAKE
I later found a MUCH easier access to Marl lake. GPS to Kayak Launch N2283 Whispering Pines Road, Waupaca Wisconsin. Takes you right to the lake.
If you are planning a trip to the best lakes to paddle on the Upper Chain -that includes Marl, GPS to Knight Lane Landing N2417 Knight Lane, Waupaca Wisconsin
DISTANCE TO MARL LAKE
From Milwaukee 2 hrs (138 miles)
From Madison 1 hr 53 min (110 miles)
From Green Bay 1 hr 15 min (78 miles)
From Chicago 3 hrs 20 min (222 miles)
From Rockford Illinois 2 hrs 45 min (182 miles)
P.S. Thank you Judy, & other open hearted guides in this world, willing to say "Follow me" -to point out some natural wonder or hidden gem. Our lives are much richer thanks to you.
"Adventure with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man." -John Eldredge, Wild at Heart
Finally made it to the "clearest, deepest lake in Wisconsin." Definitely the deepest at 355 feet - nearly a hundred feet deeper than the next deepest lake -Green Lake in Green County (Green lake is the deepest naturally formed Wisconsin lake).
Whether Wazee is the clearest lake is debatable -a bragging point many lakes in Wisconsin claim. Looking at a list of the states' 15 clearest lakes, the top position rotates year to year.
Because Wazee is a man made quarry and because of its popularity, we were slow to pay it a visit.
Not liking a crowded scene we "smartly" picked nearly the busiest vacation day of the year -July 4th, to visit Wazee. Busy as expected, with hundreds of beach goers, a few fisherman dotting the shoreline, lots of kayakers, paddle boarders & plenty of SCUBA divers. (Wazee is the most popular SCUBA diving destination in the midwest).
"YOU..SHALL NOT..PASS!"
Lake Wazee sits in west central Wisconsin, near Black River Falls, on the northeast edge of what is called the Driftless area of Wisconsin. Strangely untouched by glaciers, it is "driftless", meaning, it doesn't have the glacier driftland features or glacier formed lakes common in other parts of Wisconsin. As if obeying Gandalf's (Lord of The Rings) command: "You..Shall Not...Pass!" -glaciers advanced up to this region and retreated, leaving a landscape full of nooks & cranies & microclimates; home to some very unusual plants & animals -subject of many books & documentaries. Here's a link to a good one: http://lakefrontrow.com/mysteries-of-the-driftless/
I call this area of Wisconsin a type "A" personality landscape; -pronounced edges, ridges & valleys. Comparatively few lazy stretches of land or water. Water is decisively carted away by the many streams -it's a "Git-R-Done" - "Ship It Out" system. Very different than the brooding, indecisive, glacier scraped land in many other areas of Wisconsin, where water doesn't seem to know which way to go, hanging up as wetlands and lakes (These are some of the best lake areas!)
Wazee is one of the relatively few lakes in this driftless region. Although a man made quarry with the resulting lack of wild ambiance (to my mind), I found it awesome to dive in. Carved out by dynamite & machinery, natural phenomena has taken over -except in its bottomless depths where not much light can reach (no light=no plants=no other life forms -or at least comparatively less).
Bluegill on Nest at Wazee
THE ALLURE OF THE DEEP
The quest for depth is ageless. Similar to The mountain climbing quest for elevation -or the quest to do absolutely anything that challenges you.
Seems the human spirit is restless if unchallenged.
Whatever challenges YOU -Free Climbing El Capitan in Yosemite, or summiting your backyard tree, freediving 300+ feet or 10 ft. Whatever stretches/challenges you, is your "DEEP."
My Judeao Christian perspective on life tells me this desire to explore is a good thing, something to be embraced, celebrated. Part of our divine design, hardwired to be curious, to find wonder & joy in discovery.
To shut down our desire to explore is the makings of an unhappy life. I say you CAN be too careful. As a famous adventure quote goes: "If you think ADVENTURE is Dangerous, Try Routine. It is LETHAL."
As a freediver, I'm uncomfortable with too much focus on depth. I've read most of the freediving books available & find them all interesting & motivating in ways, but the obsession with depth gets to be a bit much for me.
I like James Nestor (the author of the book DEEP), Fred Buyles' (shark tagging expert & freediving champion) and a host of other former competitive freedivers' perspectives. For them, freediving is embraced as a means to explore and get close to wildlife & to more intimately experience the underwater world -not primarily as a test, or competition for depth.
AND YET...
I find the attraction to go deep at times to be irresistible. Curiosity often gets the best of me as I float over a body of clear water that suddenly drops -gotta check it out, see what's down there.
Early in my lake explorations I learned that most of the lake life is around the shore, in shallower water -connected to water plants. Most of my spearfishing is done in 3-15 ft of water.
But the deeper water is also part of the lakes that we love and that barren moonscape has a beauty of its own.
Wazee more than satisfies that enjoyment of The Deep.
The mystique of Wazee is not only its great depth, but that you can SEE a good ways into that depth in dramatic fashion as the water plunges suddenly from the cliff like shoreline.
A non-diving friend of mine says his main memory of Wazee is the trance like spell that would come over him as he'd gaze from shore into that bottomless abyss of deep clear water. Kinda creeped him out.
My first impression of Wazee was similar. Looking from the shoreline into that aqua blue dropoff, I knew I was on the precipice of a grand adventure.
FINALLY IN THE WATER
After checking out some of the dive access spots: Blue Gill Alley, The Garden, Sherwood Forest, I thought the spot called The Wall looked especially inviting.
Called "The Wall" because it has Wazee lakes' quickest dropoff to 100ft from the shore. I liked the shelf like structure stretching out from shore before the steep dropoff. Made for a comfortable amount of shallow water to snoop amongst water plants looking for fish.
Just yards away the drop off was immediate. My imagination kicked up visions of the famous freediving hotspot at Deans Blue Hole (663 ft deep!) in the Bahamas, where world freediving world records have been set.
Freediver at Deans Blue Hole
Here at Wazee I could catapult off the edge into my own Blue Hole & free fall to my hearts content -which was not very far. The need to do a better job of equalizing (https://www.google.com/search?q=equalizing+pressure+in+ears) against the head/ear pressure, combined with dealing with that shockingly cold deeper water "thermocline" (distinct depth where the water temperature is suddenly colder) -sent me back up quickly.
Eventually I relaxed & got better at dealing with & enjoying that alien world. Gotta equalize immediately upon submerging & constantly throughout the dive. And the cold!? With Wazees' depth comes Wazees' cold. I wouldn't be able to stand that sharp cold for very long without a wetsuit. The other factor is that what seems unbearably cold, becomes bearable after a bit. That cold ache subsides...to an extent.
Below the thermocline the water temperature is 40°-50° F A snorkeler without a wetsuit would be comfortable in the 70° F (summer) surface waters.
Having the right mindset regarding cold water helps.
Cold Water Immersion has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years with Wim Hof "The Iceman" & others popularizing its health benefits: "Good for circulation, boosts your immune system, reduces inflammation, reduces stress, lifts your mood..."
This past winter, after learning some general guidelines for cold water immersion, my son, Josh & I, set out to do some short swims in our nearby river. The first couple minutes were horrible with the ache of the cold -can make you panicky to get out. But, as I mentioned, you get somewhat used to it after a couple minutes. In the 32°-37° degree winter water we'd last 5 min with a shorty wetsuit. The invigorating effect on body & spirit lasts all day!
Combine that cold water invigoration with Wazees' depth pressure, the breath hold of freediving, along with the thrill of viewing the "dark side of the moon" i.e. beholding what is normally hidden in the depths, & you have the makings of an even deeper level of invigoration/ ADVENTURE!
SHORT CLIP OF OUR WAZEE DIVE:
FOR THE FISHERMAN
I did not see many fish. Very clear, "oligotrophic" water, typically does not hold a high fish population. What makes for clear water -lack of particles in the water to block sunlight- also generally means less food to support plankton, which is the basis of a lakes fish population.
I saw a few small bluegill, one big one on the nest, some largemouth bass, & one rainbow trout.
BUT, fish biologist say: "The fish that occur in oligotrophic lakes are often low in abundance, but large in size."
We look foward to going back to Wazee. Inspite of the crowds, we were able to find our space. Testimony to the escape value of mask, fins & snorkel.
"The country that muskies are found in is symbolic of the fish itself -wild, beautiful, inspirational."
-Steve Heiting, from the book Musky Country
"Tiger Fury" -Love this painting of a Tiger Musky by Rick Kelley
Land of Lakes!
Our search for Wisconsin's clearest lakes
has taken us to the Minocqua, Eagle River,
Rhinelander area in Oneida & Vilas County.
This is Northwoods Wisconsin at its finest. Absolute Land of Lakes. Third most concentrated amount of glacial lakes in the world!
Since the logging days faded out in the '40s this area has become famous for its fishing, with special attention given to the pursuit of some of the biggest muskies in the world.
Swimming with muskies
Our typical exploring motto- "Searching for clear water & a fish dinner" has been replaced by "Searching for clear water and fish diners"; we are looking for the top predators in these Wisconsin waters -muskies. This Wisconsin official state fish can get up to 5 ft long & weigh nearly 70 lbs!
We've come up here to look for muskies -to try to get some on video with an underwater camera -swapping my underwater speargun for a GoPro camera.
I'm often asked to take pics or video of some of my underwater excursions. I've been slow to get on board with doing that, the underwater photography I've seen just doesn't come close to conveying my experience of being below the surface. True to the limits of all photography when it comes to capturing real life, but freediving, in my opinion has a greater degree of sensory dynamics going on than typical photo scenes -harder to capture.
But, I seem to need at least some type of goal when I dive -whether fish hunting or gathering water plants for a meal, and since these particular Wisconsin counties do not allow underwater spearfishing, the idea of catching some of these huge predators on video has grown on me, providing goal enough & has inspired my inner Jacques Cousteau child.
"Swimming with Muskies" sounds scary (I say it for dramatic effect 😉). Sometimes called "water wolves", these fish look intimidating. But attacks are nearly non existent. There has been the rare incident of a muskie or northern pike biting a swimmer that was wearing a shiny object -mistaking it for a small fish or other prey. Like most wild creatures, they are so tuned into their usual food choices that they don't haphazardly attack odd objects.
Also, as elusive as these fish are to anglers,
called "the fish of ten thousand casts", they are fearless in the water. Like all top predators, when full grown, they are the kings -& especially queens, of their domain (female musky get bigger than males). Because of this, they are fearless & quite approachable & at times they are the approachers.
Divers, including myself, with my limited experience, have experienced turning around & seeing a muskie a couple feet away watching me -unnerving! I love underwater photographer Eric Engbretson's account of his first suprise encounter with a muskie:
"The first time I came face to face with a muskie underwater in its environment, I thought I was going to have a stroke. My arms and legs flapped involuntarily in panic and I stirred up a cloud of silt that quickly enveloped both the beast and me.
In stark contrast to my initial panicked surprise, its reaction was just the opposite. Its demeanor was calm, and its steely-eyed gaze remained fixed on me the entire time like a gunslinger in a Clint Eastwood western. This was a fish filled with confidence, instead of fear."
Looking for muskies, got distracted watching something else, turned around and saw this musky staring at me from a couple feet away.
Finding Muskies
According to my mentor on this subject - Eric Engbretson, the best time of year to see muskies is when they're spawning in the spring. When water temps are around 55° muskies head to shallow water looking for a mate(s). The prime time is generally between early May and before opening Musky fishing season -the weekend before Memorial Day.
We stopped at a couple suggested musky lakes -Little Tomahawk lake in Oneida county & Star lake in Vilas county -normally very clear, but found them to be too murky for my gig. A late ice out disrupted the more typical schedule of water clarity & the water temps that are needed to get muskies spawning. Finding clear lakes can be tricky timing anyway, difficulty now upscaled by the need for particular water temps for a particular fish to spawn.
A stop at the famous Rollie and Helen's musky shop in Minocqua was most helpful. We were told by a guide there to try Snipe Lake in Vilas county because it is a shallower lake that would probably have clearer & warmer water in light of the later ice out.
Snipe Lake! Dull headed by our long drive & unexpected amount of difficulty in finding a lake to dive in, I'm especially longing to slip below the surface and be refreshed by that energizing lake world. Chilly waters made my wetsuit a must. As soon as my head submerges all senses come alive & the game is on -trying to spot & video a muskie. About 20 min into the search, I had my first view & footage of a muskie. We make our best plans to cross paths with a wild creature; fishing, hunting, photography, but in the end they make the rules -part of the appeal to me & many other kindred spirits. When things occasionally go according to plan, it can be very satisfying.
Saw plenty of muskies after that one, but that first viewing was especially memorable. (I'll post a link to my YouTube video at the end).
The One That Got Away
Skip a year (Covid19 shut down) & I'm back to this same area, hoping to add a couple more videos clips to the first one & finish this blog.
Spent the 1st day getting some videos of smaller
Walleye
muskies and a school of 20-30 walleye.
My goal was to hang out with a "big girl." Finally I spot an especially big musky. Got what I thought was a good video. Checked it that evening and found "SD card error." Lost two hrs of videos! -including that big musky. 😕
Quite frustrating! Became sort of an attitude reset for me; I see that I easily get so wrapped up in the technology part of capturing (or in this case, failing to capture) & sharing my experience that I miss the experience, become uptight, anxious, less appreciative; lose that wonder & joy in creation & thankfulness to the Creator that has been the heart of my enjoyment of these outings.
Nothing can erasemy experience of sharing the water with this impressive fish; the slo-mo appearance of this huge dark shape, gaining distinction & clarity as it came closer, circling around me about 8 ft away. I follow it with my camera, hoping It'll come closer. Finally curiosity seems to win & it angles in for a closer look at me -bout 3 ft away. Eye to eye contact, shared awareness..."bonding" -lifetime memory!
I imagine something passes between us. After this, she drifts away, seen enough I guess. I would have loved to have lingered longer but my breathold was giving out anyway.
Am I disappointed that I didn't get this fish on video? Definitely! Would love to have had that experience AND been able to share it with others. But in my best moments I embrace that "reset" i.e. not letting that tech failure poison my memory of that & future experiences.
Drawing of a Musky by Grandson Gabriel
FOR THE FISHERMAN
I'm impressed with size of the smallmouth bass
in Snipe lake! Didn't see any perch but saw a lot of perch eggs (skein). Plenty of walleyes in that isolated school on the west side. Good amount of smaller muskies, couple of medium size ones & the bigger one I spoke of earlier.
FOR THE SNORKELER/FREEDIVER
So many lakes to choose from is the fortunate problem a diver/snorkeler has in this area.
Of the top 10 clearest lakes in Wisconsin, 5 of them are in this area: Lee lake in Oneida cty. Fence lake, Vilas county. Wind Pudding lakein Oneida county. Blue lake, Oneida county. BlackOak lakein Vilas county.
Most of these lakes are clear for a longer period of time than southern & central lakes that tend to cloud up in the summer. Visit those lakes in the spring & northern lakes later.
FOR THE PADDLER
Snipe is a smaller lake; 216 acres. Not a bad distance to paddle around. I think the best way to enjoy any lake paddle is to stick fairly close to the shore. You have the satisfaction of noticing your progression of travel and shore areas are where wildlife is usually found.
I didn't see loons but heard them calling. Saw an eagle agitating a mallard family. Polarized glasses would make gazing into the clear water at Snipe lake -looking for fish, a lot of fun. Not many motor boats on this small lake. The six times I was there I saw 5 or 6 boats 👍
Some favorite reads on this area of the northwoods (to get you in that "Upnorth" mood):
Musky Country; The Book Of North America's Premier Big Game Fish. By various authors.
Three Record Muskies In His Day;The Life And Times Of Louie Spray. By John Dettloff
Any of John Batesbooks; A Northwoods Companion -Spring & Summer, & River Life, are a couple favorites.
GETTING TO SNIPE LAKE
With the GPS, the boat launch didn't work, so I used this address to get a couple hundred yards north of the boat launch: 1786 Wilderness Trl, Cloverland TWP (Vilas) WI
"Was it through your know how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts?...Did you command the eagles flight?...Who do you think gave weather wisdom to the ibis?" -Job
Pushing off from shore, camera in hand, head peeking just above a log built up
Photo by Gabe Parnell
with leafy branches, face streaked with mud. I'm letting the current carry me close to a group of pelicans around the corner. My floating debris disguise doesn't fool them at all. The whole group takes flight at first sight of me.
Covid-19 has shut down some of our usual spring/summer searching for the clearest lakes in Wisconsin to freedive, snorkel & spearfish in, which are usually what my blogs are all about:(www.wisconsinclearlakes.blogspot.com)
As my always inspiring sister Kathryn says, playfully, but truly, of any negative scene: "Turn that bugger into lemonade, best ya can."
Still wanting to get my water fix, plan B (lemonade) has turned this spring into the "Year of the pelican."
Sparked by my interest in getting close to pelicans, I've taken to snorkeling in nearby murky waters to photograph them and other surface sights. Graceful White Incredible Hulk
I don't know of a bird that looks so cartoonishly awkward yet flies with such grace as a pelican. Their "V" group sky soaring formations, fittingly called "squadrons" are impressive.
But there's something breathtaking about their suspended glide as they come in for a landing on massive 9ft wingspans. (2nd only to the condor in North America. Eagles have a "mere" 7 ft wingspan).
Seems the laws of physics are being violated as this hulk of a bird extends its glide for an endless stretch before finally dropping landing gear. Suspended animation. A type of magic!
They also do this levitation trick when traveling longer distances over open water -inches from the water -expertly using updrafts. As I watch this great display of flight, my hat instinctively goes off to the Creator and the words to the opening quote come to mind.
Found in the biblical Book of Job, this quote comes from the Creator's longest speech ever given to a person and most of it is about the wonders of creation and God's great enjoyment of it and care in creating/crafting every angle of it.
No Fake News Here!
In our especially troubled times this might not seem relevant. But the soul satisfying, restorative effect of spending real (versus virtual) time in direct contact with the divine fingerprint, i.e. nature, can't be underestimated as a sanity reset; an escape TO reality; nothing photo shopped, artificially enhanced, smoke screens or hidden agendas.
Here you find the perfect balance between beauty & effeciency.
No "fake news" to sort through...REFRESHING!
Hard to find a more captivating natural wonder then this huge, white, eye catching bird -The American White Pelican.
Why Are We Seeing More Pelicans??
The pelican population in Illinois,
Wisconsin and the eastern midwest has increased dramatically in the last 15 years.
Bird studiers (ornithologists) say a lot of this has to do with a weird event that happened at the Chase Lake National Refuge in North Dakota.
In 2004, 30,000 pelicans (North America's largest population of nesting pelicans) suddenly & for no apparent reason, abandoned their nests in the middle of the nesting season from this North Dakota refuge. An unexplainable migration to the midwest & east -happily toward us. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/07/04/in-north-dakota-pelicans). This event, combined with the increased draining of wet lands in the western part of the united states for agriculture, causing pelicans to head east in search of other suitable waterlands, & the reduced use of pesticides, has caused the eastern midwest population of pelicans to skyrocket! From 2005 to 2013 the breeding population of Wisconsin pelicans has increased 275%! -& is still steadily increasing.
By far, the highest population of pelicans to be seen in Wisconsin is in the east central area. They migrate through the whole state, but only nest in this area; besides a small number on the mississippi river in western Wisconsin.
Prime spots to see them are from Beaver Dam Lake to Horicon Marsh area & Lake
Winnebago & Lake Butte des Morts area near Green Bay.
In Illinois, though they are seen in many areas, they only nest in an area on the Mississippi river, south of Savanna & north of Fulton.
Back To The Water
With the increased sightings of such an awesome bird I've been trying to think of a way to get closer to them.
Binoculars and telephoto lenses are great and less intrusive, but if you've read any of my other blogs you know I am a proponent of close personal contact with the natural world.
After my initial floating debris failure I eventually came up with "Spy Goose." Couldn't find any pelican decoys or any suitable simulations. You often see pelicans hanging out near Canadian geese. So I turned a shell type Canadian goose decoy into my disguise.
Snorkel, fins & my ruse has turn murky water into a cool playground for exploring and photographing.
After getting pretty close to a great blue heron on my maiden trip on the Rock River
I knew I was onto something. I'm just beginning to explore its sneak potential, got more tweaking to do, but so far I'm liking the results.
You can see some of what I've got so far in the YouTube video at the end of this blog. (All shots are actual distance -no telephoto).
Bird Island -Midwestern Galapagos!
Seeing all these pelicans turned into a quest to get a glimpse of pelican family life. After a couple failed searches for nesting pelicans in Wisconsin & Illinois, we -myself & my endlesssly patient, always encouraging wife Cheryl 😘- found what I call "Bird Island." (I'm keeping the actual name and
location of this particular island a secret -my disturbance was enough).
Bird island was to me one of my greatest ever wildlife experiences!
Me and my Spy Goose friend/cloaking device/invisibilty blanket, got me to the edge of Bird Island.
The smell of bird poop and the sound of squawking birds was overwhelming! Curiosity got the best of me. Had to take a closer look.
Exiting the water I was immediately torn between feelings of invasion of privacy and dumbstruck awe as I bounced between saying "Sorry" &..."WOW!"
Trying to keep my intrusion to a minimum I put my camera on a long selfie stick to get closer shots and walked carefully. Pelican eggs and babies were everywhere, along with young
cormorants and some white egrets. Hundreds of seagulls we're flying above me. I took a few videos and left shortly. Must admit it was hard to pull away from this fantastic display of life!
Get off that Island! 😠
On a final note; there are rules about harassing nesting birds. I spoke with the Department of Natural Resources on the subject.
Was told it is a gray area regarding what constitutes harassment; "If the birds are agitated by your presence then back off, use common sense, give them more comfort space."
I could see from my offshore Spy Goose position -before I set foot on the island- that there was a lot of natural commotion -bickering & squawking going on. My appearance on the island of course caused a reaction. I just expected more and would have backed off with a more adverse reaction. I advanced slowly. If my presence seemed too disturbing, I backed away.
I was told that persistent presence of predators and human presence such as camping or frequent hikes can cause pelicans to nest elsewhere.
There's a lot to see & enjoy from a distance in a boat with binoculars near nesting islands.
I know I pushed the limits -trading some of their comfort to satisfy my curiosity. Definitely mixed feelings, but I'd like to think my brief visit was within their tolerance level -causing no lasting harm.
Good Trade? 🤔
Maybe I gave them a good trade. They now have a story to tell future generations about the goose (Spy Goose) that came to the edge of their island, birthed a human, who briefly walked amongst them, returned to the water & got swallowed up by another goose that swam away.
"A little tranquil lake is more significant to my life than any big city in the world." -Munia Khan
Photo by Bryan Witek
BASE CAMPS Heading to our Westfield base camp/"pivot point"i.e., from where we stay in Westfield in Marquette County Wisconsin, there are clear lakes
nearby in several directions to choose from; Crystal, Wood, Lawrence, Moon, & the "8 lake District."
Early on in our searchfor clear water lakes, we learned the importance of having backup lakes when our targeted clear water lake turns out to be not so clear.
The 8 Lake District
Today we're visiting the "8 Lake District" near Oxford, in Adams county -consisting of 8 lakes within a 4 mile radius: Jordan, Parker, Goose, Deep, Peppermill, McDougal, Crooked & Wolf. All decently clear. I've got my heart set on Wolf lake; considered the clearest of these lakes. We've been in Parker & Wolf. Have only done shore peeks into the water at the other lakes. They all look inviting, but we keep returning to Wolf lake.
Love This Lake!
A lake's got to push all the right buttons for us to revisit it; water clarity, light boat traffic, fairly easy access, plenty of my target fish -crappie, & some other intangibles. Seems the adventure of checking out a new lake drives our lake wanderings.
This being our third trip to Wolf lake says something. Love This Lake! The last two times we were there, it was OUR lake -not another soul to be seen the whole 3 hrs we were there.
Not a big lake; 42 acres. I've been around only about half of it. Speargun in hand, once I start seeing my fish of choice, I move slowly, dialed into their movements. All senses on full alert.
Freediving rivets your attention into the moment by the very nature of the activity. Add the stalk mode of spearfishing & you have a further type of altered state & a great part of my own enjoyment of lake adventures. All the more valuable\therapeutic during these high stress COVID-19 days!
I realize harpooning your fish dinner is not for everyone. I enjoy rod & reel fishing, but on the excitement scale, there's a lot to be said for entering the fish's world with "One breath, One shot," -as the spear fisherman's mantra goes. Also, when the goal is to make a meal out of the fish (vs sport fishing catch & release) I like the "selective take" angle of spearfishing -the only fish I traumatize are the ones going into a frying pan.
Today my focus is on gathering a side dish of underwater greens ("macro algae") to go with our fish dinner. I'm looking for Tape or Eel Grass, or known by its more appetizing name Wild Celery. This will be our first time trying this.
Here's our take on Wild Celery: Very bland, which we wouldn't have minded, as you season to taste, but the texture was pretty tough -gotta admit to a bit of face contortion while chewing 😜. Could be we need to harvest younger leaves or cook it differently.
Not bad as a tea. Unique, weird taste, but ok. A little sugar made it better.
Was still a very satisfying contribution to a meal gathered from these waters by our own efforts.
Birds' Eye View
Wolf lake, & most of the other lakes in the Westfield area, sit in an ecosystem called the CentralSand Hills, marked by -you guessed it -sand & hills.
A high flying eagle (or Google Earth 😉) flying north from south central Wisconsin would see plenty of corn, soybeans & dairy cows, an increasing amount of pine, aspen, and, thanks to glaciers leaving a landscape that drains poorly, our eagle would be seeing more bogs, swamps &...LAKES!
The Wisconsin river, with its awesome sand bars, snakes its way through part of this area. Canoeing this river was a favorite trip when our kids were young. Plenty of sand bar islands to stop at, claim as your own, play on, picnic & swim.
About 2 hrs (1 hr car speed) after passing the Madison lakes our eagle sees several lakes close together; the Oxford "8 Lake District". Deciding to spiral down for a fish dinner, he picks one lake -Wolf lake. He finds no boats, some outstandingly clear water & a human/frog thing -me.
Fish Eye View
As I slip below the surface at Wolf lake, I'll pick up the perspective where our eagle left off:
Water still cold here in May -cold enough to make me wince as my exposed face submerges. Water is a very clear 15-20+ ft of visibility. Started seeing crappie near the edges of the weeds (pondweed, milfoil, coontail) in 5-10 ft of water to the right/south of the boat launch. Waiting for bigger ones makes me pass up a lot of shots & enjoy fish watching -good amount of bluegill, largemouth bass, a few small northern pike & a big snapping turtle.
I pick up a rhythm -relax on surface for a couple minutes, take a deep breath, duck dive to the bottom in a promising looking area, be still & watchful, wait for curious fish to approach. Hold breath untill discomfort sends me up for air, repeat.
Greatly enjoyed swimming through openings in strange light green translucent billowy clouds of algae like stuff, suspended off the bottom -Finally made good on that childhood desire to fly through nimbus clouds.
Easy access via the 1 boat launch. Not only is this a "No Wake" lake, no motors of any kind are allowed -gas or electric.
Getting There:
Couldn't find GPS for the boat launch, so came up with this nearby address to get within sight of the boat launch: "3154 County hwy A, Oxford Wisconsin."
Brief notes about other lakes in our Westfield pivot point:
Parker lake, Adams County.One of the "8 Lake District" lakes I mentioned earlier. Access point to the lake is at the wayside park off of rt 82. Diving amongst the many downed trees in the bay to the left/north east of the wayside park was a highlight. I love weaving & gliding amongst fallen trees. Plenty of seaweed cover for fish along this north shore.
Lawrence Lake, Marquette County. Not great for snorkeling or diving. Water usually only moderately clear. Busy with boat traffic. We loved the cottages rented out by Tall Pines Resort. Was a special experience diving near our own little cottage, from our own dock, capped off by a delicious fish fry by our own fire pit. Saw plenty of bluegill, bass & crappie.
Crystal lake, Marquette County.A favorite lake. One of Wisconsins' clearest lakes. 23 min north east of Westfield. Did a
whole blog on this lake: https://wisconsinclearlakes.blogspot.com/2018/07/crystal-lake-amish. Not easy access (the lake is a 300 yd walk on a trail from the parking lot) but worth the effort. A lake that, before leaving it, always makes me pause, look back & say -"love that lake".
Moon (also called Birch) lake, Marquette County. Didn't care for it. Snorkelled the entire west shore from the boat launch looking for fish. Didn't see many. Lacked bottom depth variation. Seemed a constant shallow depth lacking interesting features, seaweed clumps & fish population.
Wood lake, Marquette county. 20 min to the north of Westfield. Just throwing this one out there as HPFC -"Having Potential For Coolness." Have only gazed into the waters from shore. Was too windy when we were there. Since hearing "Wood lake's water is so clear it's hard to get close to the fish," I've been longing to check it out.
Pearl Lake, Waushara County. I found Pearl lake to be a clear and pretty lake worth exploring morebut the boat traffic was too much for me. Focus on a weekday visit or at least going outside the 11am to 4pm water skiing time. I found a nice drop off & weeds to attract enough fish immediately to the left of the boat launch to keep me occupied the whole time. After Pearl lake consider a visit to the nearby Red Granite quarry for the amazing cliff jumping! Pearl lake is a bit far to be included in the Westfield base camp (38 min southeast) but adding the cliff jumping at the quarry to your scene makes the area worth the visit.
Get to all these lakes by putting in name of the lake, county & boat launch into GPS.
When staying overnight in the Westfield area we like Pioneer Motor Inn motel in the town of Westfield.
Evening pizza & atmosphere at the Tall Pines Resort on Lawrence lake -about 15 min from Westfield, is a relaxing highlight.
WESTFIELD AREA
From Madison 1hr 30 min
From Milwaukee 2 hrs
From Wausau 1 hr 15 min
From Green Bay 2 hrs
From Chicago 3 hrs
"Near water, but especially in water, our bodily senses -touch, pressure, temperature, motion, position, balance, weight, vibration- are truly alive." BLIND MIND by Wallace Nichols
After a spring-summer of exploring Wisconsin's inland lakes we're ready for our annual Lake Michigan "ocean" trip to Door County.
Heading to Cave Point County Park -right next to Whitefish Dunes State Park, just south of Valmy & north of Sturgeon Bay.
This is our third trip here. Its become one of the highlights of our Door County exploring & considering the droves of people, its a favorite place for many others.
Besides the amount of people, it has what we like; clear water, it's free, & as a public park it keeps the Wisconsin attitude that allows recreation to thrive -adventure friendly, the option to explore at your own risk - "You want to jump off a cliff? Go ahead."
"No, no, NO!" -Saw this sign near
a lake in Illinois. Not the vibe
we look for.😕
People come to take in the rugged beauty of the cliffs & clear water, to scramble along the rocks, hike the trails, kayak the shoreline & cliff jump (or watch others jump) into that shockingly cold water. After working up the nerve, here's my experience with the jump: Absolutely invigorating! -you jump into the freezing water, feel the full force of it, climb out thinking you can't stand but a few seconds of it, then a warm -almost hot- sensation rushess over your whole body & you want to do it again 😆.
THE IMMERSION FACTOR
We were amazed at the nonstop flow of people visiting this park. Seemed the focal point was the cliff jumping. Fits with my
views on the longing we have to engage in creation -the less spectating the better & the more satisfying & permanent the memory.
To each his own mode of exploring, but the "immersion factor" is what biases me towards my gig as a freediving/snorkeler/spearfisherman; taking that cliff jump, participation factor, & staying in it -lingering in a full immersion.
On my last trip, diving amongst all those kayakers & shore explorers, I'd surface & feel the urge to yell out; "hey, you're missing out, the real show is below the surface!" -So many cliff caverns, rock formations, swimmable crevices & life forms that you don't know are there unless you slip below the surface.
After a couple hrs I'm tired, hungry, & getting a lil' chilled, but deeply content & relaxed. Feel like I've journeyed far from home. My divinely imprinted need to explore satisfied. -Here's my Cave Point Gopro Youtube video:
FINDING DOOR COUNTIES' CLEAREST WATER
On our first visit to Door County we spent alot of time looking for the clearest water to explore & find fish for underwater spearfishing (our method for getting a fish dinner) -from the Green Bay side, north to Washington Island & down the eastern -Lake Michigan side.
We sorted through alot of internet tips from other divers. Most diving info seems to focus on finding ship wrecks. Our interest is in fish & all things natural wonders.
We learned that the east side of Door County is more clear than the Green Bay side (called green bay for a reason), but this east, "lakeside" clarity relies on a west wind. Was hard pressed to find other helpful ideas. The best tips on understanding & finding Door County clear water came from professional freshwater fish photographer Eric Engbretson (http://underwaterfishphotos). Here's some of what I learned from him:
Very clear water is everywhere offshore in Door County. Its all about having the rightwind to bring this clear water close to shore to dive in.
On the Green Bay side a north or northeast wind is best.
As far as the Green Bay side goes, the theory is that dirty water from the Fox river flows into Green Bay -clouding Green Bay until near Little Sturgeon, where it becomes clear enough for diving & gets increasingly clear as you get to Gills Rock -top of the Door County pennisula.
As water clarity improves as you travel north from Little Sturgeon, the fish variety drops! Variety is best in the murkier water. Up near the top of Door County you mostly see only smallmouth bass & gobies.
But...as much as you think you have the formula down, it can still be very frustrating to consistently find Door Counties' clear water. "It all looks good on paper, but I still couldn't find clear water with any reliability. I found it maddening." -Eric Engbretson
Lack of fish variety was quite noticeable to me on my 1st diving visit to Cave Point. I saw tons of gobies, some smallmouth bass, trout, schools of shad & one big carp -all fish I
Goby
can't shoot or don't want to.
Cold water & the superb clarity has its impact on fish populations. Clearer is not always better for fish. For the last 20 yrs Zebra & Quagga mussels -(food vacuum cleaners) have further cleared the water & reduced fish populations.
For these reasons I stopped carrying my speargun here & have just focused on the joy of exploring & taking pics.
GETTING TO CAVE POINT GPS address for Cave Point is 3275 Clarks Lake Rd. Sturgeon Bay, Wis. 54235 4 1/4 hrs from Chicago 3 1/2 hrs from Madison 2 1/2 from Milwaukee 2 1/2 from Wausau 1 hr from Green Bay One more note of interest
Found a very cool, HUGE relief map of lake michigan in -of all places -a McDonalds- in, or near, Kewaunee, in Door County.
On this map I saw that the deepest point in lake michigan is straight east & abit south from Cave Point. From here you can look out towards water that is nearly 1000 ft deep! Somehow adds to the mystique of this place.
Gotta pass on this well done blog by Kenneth Casper called WISCONSIN EXPLORER -great hiking & overall info about Cave Point: https://wisconsin-explorer.blogspot.com
Canoe lake hopping in northern Wisconsin, my son Josh and I were after Northern Pike on some of the small lakes in northwest Wisconsins' Spooner Lake area.
The first couple lakes were a slightly clear tannin stained, tea brown color typical of alot of northern Wisconsin waters. Then we hit the next lake. Paddling over a sudden deep spot triggered an instinctive brace for a drop as I watched the bottom fall away. The clarity was startling!
THE INVITATION
This & other similar experiences while kayaking, fishing or just shore gazing, grew into an irresistible urge to checkout this enchanting underwater world.
As grass, shrubs & saplings are the outskirts of a forest, so surface & shore are but the edges of a lake, the bare minimum -the trail that leads right up to the mysteries within. Clear water beckons -sends out this invitation. To turn away would be like the timid Walter Mitty refusing to respond to the adventurous Sean O'Connell's finger gesture to venture forth. (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty -great movie).
And so the quest began- Snorkeling led to freediving which led to spearfishing and deeply enjoying fish dinners on the shores of the lakes we explore. These Wisconsin lakes have become pivot points to exploring other local features of the land and people; good eats, drinks, parks and other natural wonder phenoms. Though I must admit Lakes have remained by far my most captivating point of interest.
Finding these Lakes has been great fun as we've slowly made our way from southern Wisconsin to mid and northeast parts of the state.
This spring, we'll be slipping into deeper sections of the North Woods in the Minocqua area to try our hand at filming Muskies underwater with a GoPro.
To you adventurers accepting the invitationto slip below the surface into a crystalline wonderland, here are tips for finding Wisconsin's clearest lakes-
WISCONSIN'S TOP 20 CLEAREST LAKES -All these lakes have an underwater visibility that ranges from 22-30+ft. There are MANY other comparedly clear lakes, but these have made the list at least twice in the last 5 yrs:
Black Oak Lake, Vilas county Whitefish Lake, Douglass Co. Pine Lake, Waukesha co. Maiden Lake, Oconto co. Lake Wazee, Jackson Co. Blue Lake, Oneida Co. Lake Lucerne, Forest Co. Lake Owen, Bayfield Co. Crystal Lake, Marquette Co. Presque Isle Lake, Vilas Co. Keyes Lake, Florence Co. Millicent Lake, Bayfield Co. Mildred Lake, Oneida Co. Lake Metonga, Florence Co. Lake Owen, Bayfield Co. Stormy Lake, Vilas Co. Smoky Lake, Vilas Co. Sugar Camp Lake, Oneida Co. Deer Lake, Polk Co. Big Newton Lake, Marinette Co.
(I got this list from professional freshwater fish photographer Eric Engbretson's blog - http://underwaterfishphotos.blogspot.com- A list that he obtained from consulting with Wisconsin's state-wide citizen's lake .monitoring group. Engbretson Underwater Photography of Florence, Wisconsin is the nation’s top supplier of photos of fish taken in their natural habitats! Love his "Sixty Seconds Underwater Youtube series-https://youtu.be/05TByGwpexs
WISCONSIN'S CLEAREST LAKES AT A GLANCE:Here's an amazing satellite map that shows where most of the clear lakes are in Wisconsin. Focus on blue colored lakes (read the map legend). You can zoom in more clearly if you go to this link & download it for yourself. http://lakesat.org/statewide.
From this satellite map, use any map detailed enough to show the name of your target lake. We think the Northern (or Southern) Wisconsin -All Outdoors Atlas & Field Guide from the SPORTSMANS CONNECTION series is great. Get to the lake using the map, or much easier, put the lake name & county into your GPS & go. We learned the hard way that its very important to put the boat launch for that lake into the GPS. Otherwise the GPS will get you to the lake, but you'll have no idea where you can publicly access it.
WISCONSIN DNR WEBSITE. Once you have the name of your target lake & its county, we've found the Wisconsin DNR website for that lake very helpful. On this site, look for water clarity being "very clear" or even "moderately clear." Depending on recent conditions & time of year a "moderately clear" lake is sometimes as clear as a "very clear" lake. This website also lists the lakesboat landings, lake map, nearby parks, common fish, type of lake, size, etc.
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB -Water clarity in general tends to be best in June & worst in September. Northern lakes tend to be clearer longer than mid & more southern Wis lakes.
Since starting this blog we have been to the Minocqua area -as mentioned earlier- in our attempt to get muskies on a Gopro. This wonderful lake area (3rd most concentrated amnt of glacier made freshwater lakes in the world!) will be a future blog in itself, but for now you can view some of our video results:
