MAIDEN LAKE -"NORTHERN CARIBBEAN GEM"

  "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." -Loren Eisely

 ON THE HUNT AGAIN FOR CLEAR water lakes in Wisconsin. Maiden lake is in Oconto county in northeast Wisconsin; About 60 miles NE of Wausau. The nearest town is Lakewood.

  We're visiting this lake on a tip from a couple I met while exploring Big Newton lake near Crivitz. They spoke of this lake as their favorite; "a beautiful, white bottom, aqua colored, northern caribbean gem!"

  BIRDS EYE VIEW 
    On our trip north, a high flying eagle would see less agriculture lands, fields & prairies & an ever increasing density of forests.  Maiden Lake sits just barely in the southern tip of the Northwoods.
   Sandy soil, cooler temps, & shorter growing season are bad for the usual ag crops we see in the south  -like corn & soybeans, but good for pine & birch forests that out compete most other deciduous trees from here on & cover 75% of this Great North -giving us that Northwoods look, feel & smell!
 
   Glacier effect on this part of Wisconsin  has produced a soil & landscape that makes for plenty of bogs, swamps & lakes...MAIDEN LAKE! 
     
   BIRDS (Loon's) EYE VIEW -Below the Surface
    This wonderfully clear lake does have a beautiful aqua-turquoise color & whiteness on the bottom due to the limestone, clay, marl sediment.
    Occasionally I see strange looking springs perculating from the bottom, looks like boiling cream of wheat. I swim down to get a closer look -very cold water pumping out. Here's some of my Gopro footage of it:

    I see a small northern pike, alot of smallmouth bass, bluegill, no crappie 😕, & more rock bass than I've ever seen before. Rock bass is a fish I can shoot, under the limited list available to an underwater spearfisherman. They are a shore hugging fish so most of my shooting is done slithering through seaweed in a couple ft of water -weirdly fun.
    I see one extra large Snapping Turtle. They are the true predator kings of these waters. Snappers can get up to 76 lbs & can live a long time (up to 50 yrs). The little snapper you saw as a kid could be the same one you're straining to look at now through more aged eyes.
    Aggressive on land if bothered, they are relaxed & not a threat to a swimmer in the water. Their bite power is exaggerated -"snap a broom stick" -they have about the same bite power as we humans -170 psi- but their sharp beaks make their bites fearsome with its cutting ability. (Check out this amazing & crazy clip of a guy getting a snapper to bite his hand) https://youtu.be/F57z6ya-rnA

                         

  Surfaced at one point to find myself with a new fishing buddy.  A loon was about 20 ft away. Its head was underwater to get a better view of fish -exactly what I was doing; gave me a couple unconcerned looks, did a chattery loon laugh & dove out of sight.

     Loons & their mournful, wolf like cry, are a symbol of Wisconsin northwoods. They hang out & raise a family only in the northern 3rd of the state. Most other sightings south of here are migrants.                                                                     

     Awkward on land, they are awesome underwater -out maneuvering fish. They are the deepest diving birds & can dive down 200 ft! Wish I could have gotten an underwater view of it swimming -couldn't get close enough. 

Storm coming meant I had to quit early. Tis actually pretty cool being in the water when its raining. Found myself suppressing a giddy chuckle as I surface & my first thought was; "darn, I'm gonna get wet."🤔.  Weird seeing raindrop dimples on the surface as you look up. Boat traffic dissapears 😊. But, the sound of thunder -lightning threat- meant it was time to head in. 

   At my takeout spot I met a kayaker that said he organizes kayak trips & this is one of the more popular lakes for paddlers.    

   

We stayed at WAUBEE LODGE - about a 20 min drive from Maiden Lake. We love this place. The view from the balcony overlooking Waubee lake is great. Whole atmosphere of this place suits me. (See Cheryl Parnell's review at:  https://www.google.com/search?q=waubee            

WORTH THE TRIP?  Definitely! This is our 2nd time here. Athough it doesn't have the crappies I normally go after for our evening meal, the combination of clear water (Maiden lake usually makes the top 10 clearest lakes in Wisconsin -out of 15,000 lakes, thats saying alot) & all those Rock Bass make this one of our favorite lakes so far.    

GET TO THE BOAT LAUNCH  by putting  15700 Maiden Landing, Mountain, Wisconsin  into your GPS.  This accesses the smaller inlet to Maiden lake; a big, fun "lagoon", tucked away from the main lake -perfect for underwater exploring.