Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Fish Lake Meadow (No. 393)

Overview

Location

WWithin Fish Lake Wildlife Area, Burnett County. T37N-R19W, Sections 6, 7, 18. T37N-R20W, Sections 1, 12, 13. T38N-R19W, Section 31. T38N-R20W, Section 36. 1880 acres.

Access

From the intersection of Highways 70 and 87 in Grantsburg, go south on 87/48 2 miles, then west on Fish Lake Road 5.6 miles, then south on Shogren Road 2.3 miles, then east on the Southwest Dike Trail 0.4 mile to a gate. The meadow lies northeast of the trail.

Description

Description

Fish Lake Meadow is a vast northern sedge meadow bordering Fish Lake dominated by wire-leaved sedges and rushes. Dominant species are American woolly-fruit sedge, cord-root sedge, mud sedge, beaked sedge, few-seeded sedge, cotton-grass, and Juncus. Other plants include blue-joint grass, round-leaved sundew, narrow-leaved sundew, marsh cinquefoil, bog St. John’s-wort, and steeplebush. Islands of leather-leaf and sphagnum moss are scattered throughout the site. Larger islands support shrubs such as speckled alder, white meadowsweet, black chokeberry, bog birch, and willows. A few trees are also present, mainly paper birch, red maple, and tamarack. The meadow is very wet, often with 4-12” of standing water. Bird life is diverse and includes a number of rare or uncommon species such as sharp-tailed sparrow (Ammodramus nelsoni), Le Conte’s sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), yellow rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis), Wilson’s phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), black tern (Chlidonias niger), northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), and sedge wren. The 200-acre Fish Lake occupies the northwest portion of the site. Fish Lake Meadow is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2003.

Maps

The WDNR's State Natural Areas Program is comprised of lands owned by the state, private conservation organizations, municipalities, other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private individuals. Therefore, while the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary accordingly. Public use restrictions may apply due to public safety, or to protect endangered or threatened species or unique natural features. Lands may be temporarily closed due to specific management activities. Users are encouraged to contact the land owner for more specific details.

The data shown on these maps have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability, and resolution. The data may contain errors or omissions and should not be interpreted as a legal representation of legal ownership boundaries.

• Detailed Map [PDF, 176 KB]

Activities

Please come prepared for your visit. Amenities vary from site to site with most SNAs being primitive and without facilities. See Guidelines for Visitation for details.

Allowable Activities

Most DNR-owned SNAs allow:

• Hiking
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Skiing

Some exceptions apply. Properties closed to the public or closed to specific use, such as hunting, will be posted.

***For non-DNR-owned SNAs: Additional use guidelines may apply. Please verify any use restrictions with the landowner or contact the SNA Program. Landowners may require additional permits or restrict the number of hunters at a given SNA to provide a quality hunting experience. SNA landowners can be found at the bottom of each SNA description page.

Prohibited Activities

• Horseback riding
• Rock climbing
• Vehicles, including bicycles, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmobiles except on trails and roadways designated for their use
• Collecting of plants (including fruits, nuts, or edible plant parts), animals, fungi, rocks, minerals, fossils, archaeological artifacts, soil, downed wood, or any other natural material, alive or dead

Please note that a permit is required for scientific collection and research on State Natural Areas. For more information, contact Thomas Meyer, State Natural Areas Program Specialist.

For more information on rules governing state-owned SNAs and other state lands, please consult Wisconsin's Administrative Code Chapter NR 45 (exit DNR)