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- Boating in Wisconsin
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- USFS Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest [exit DNR]
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- Contact information
- For information on the Chippewa Flowage, contact:
- Property Manager
Dept of Natural Resources
10220 State Road 27
Hayward WI 54843
715-634-2688
Chippewa Flowage
The Chippewa Flowage, a 15,300-acre impoundment, is located in central Sawyer County, 15 miles east of Hayward.
First filled in 1924, the "Big Chip" was created as a means to augment downstream water flow for power generation and flood control. Dotted with approximately 200 undeveloped islands, it is Wisconsin's third-largest lake and boasts a highly irregular, wooded, and generally undeveloped 233-mile shoreline. Although Xcel Energy still owns and maintains the dam which creates the Chippewa Flowage, the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa operates an electrical power generation facility at the dam on the Chippewa River near Winter, Wisconsin.
sunset on the flowage.
For decades, the Flowage has been highly regarded throughout the Midwest for its spectacular natural scenery and high-quality recreation, especially fishing. Historically, the Chippewa Flowage has been considered a premier muskellunge lake and earned the reputation as the waters that produced the world record musky. It also provides some of the finest walleye fishing in Wisconsin.
The Flowage offers a fishing experience generally found only on lakes farther north in Minnesota or Canada. Its seemingly endless maze of islands, points, bays, floating bogs and channels offers visitors numerous opportunities for exploration, discovery and a feeling of wildness within the northern forest landscape. Camping at one of the primitive island campsites is an opportunity not common in Wisconsin. Visitors rate the natural scenery, undeveloped "wild" character, "uncrowded" atmosphere and the fine fishing as the Flowage's outstanding attributes.
The local topography is a mosaic of rolling hills, valleys, streams, and bogs that reflect the glacial origin of the landscape. The Flowage's shorelands are generally forested with a mixture of aspen, birch, pine, northern hardwoods, and oak. Mature aspen forests predominate but in many places longer-lived hardwoods and conifers are gradually replacing them. Almost all birds and animals that are indigenous to northern Wisconsin are found within the area and include bald eagle, osprey, and loon. Wildlife viewing opportunities enhance the attractiveness of the Flowage to visitors.
Location and directions
The Chippewa Flowage is located in central Sawyer County in northwestern Wisconsin. Access from the south is via either State Highway 27 and 70 and Sawyer County Highway CC or from the north via Sawyer County Highway B and CC. Access points are off County Highway CC in the central portion of the property, County Highway B on the north, or via County Highway G and Dam Road on the southeast side. The property office is located on Highway 27 at the DNR Service Center in Hayward.
Activities
Recreational opportunities
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Objective
Flowage management
The islands and surrounding shorelands on the Flowage are owned by public, tribal, and private landowners. Of the 233 miles of shoreline the State owns about 50%; remaining land ownership is approximately 30% Tribal, 12% National Forest, and 8% privately owned.
Partners for the future
DNR Photo
In August of 2000, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) and Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (LCO) formally joined efforts under the guidance of the Chippewa Flowage Joint Agency Management Plan [PDF]
DNR PUB-LF-028 2001. This plan dedicates the cooperative efforts of these three partners to the long-term management of the Flowage to protect the natural features and to provide uniform regulation.
The overall management goal is "to perpetuate the undeveloped shoreline character of the Chippewa Flowage and to manage for compatible resource opportunities."
Islands, shoreland and forests
To protect the natural character of the lakeshore there are 100- and 200-foot wide shoreline protection zones on approximately half of the Flowage shorelands. Deed restrictions on these lands prevent changes within these zones, including cutting of native vegetation and placement of buildings and signs.
DNR Photo
On the islands and mainland shoreline easily visible from the water, vegetation is managed for a natural-appearing landscape. Emphasis is placed on promoting long-lived tree species, big tree character, and mature vegetative communities. Management also focuses on providing nesting and brood-rearing areas for endangered, threatened and sensitive species, including suitable habitat for eagles, osprey, great blue herons, and loons.
On backland areas not seen from the water, vegetation is managed for a mosaic of forest stands of different ages to provide a broad range of habitats for a variety of native wildlife and plant species.
Under the plan, protecting the natural aesthetics of the Flowage for the long term is the principal management goal. Under the continued good stewardship of the three partners, the Chippewa Flowage will remain a valuable resource for its visitors and inhabitants.
Visitors must do their part to protect the Flowage by complying with use regulations and by stridently protecting the natural lakeshores that draw people to the Flowage. Visitors also hold an obligation to understand the use regulations and identify whether the lands are publicly owned, tribal, or private.
Public access and use regulations differ between DNR, LCO, and USFS managed lands. Tribal lands, except for designated public campsites, are not open to the public.
Photos
Picture Gallery
We've compiled pictures of the Chippewa Flowage.
Thumbnails link to larger images.
Submit Your Pictures for our Gallery
Submit your pictures of the Chippewa Flowage by contacting:
Property Manager
Department of Natural Resources
10220 State Road 27
Hayward, WI 54843
715-634-2688
Thank you Ann Runyard for submitting pictures for our gallery.
Maps
Documents
- The Chippewa Flowage [PDF]
DNR PUB-LF-019 2010 - Chippewa Flowage Joint Agency Management Plan [PDF]
DNR PUB-LF-028 2001 - Chippewa Flowage Fishery Management Plan
August 2007 [PDF] - Innovations in American Government Award [exit DNR] for the Chippewa Flowage Joint Agency Management Plan
- GPS coordinates for boat landings and campsites [PDF]
Contacts/Partners
- Contact information
- For questions and comments about the Chippewa Flowage contact:
- Property Manager
Department of Natural Resources
10220 State Road 27
Hayward WI 54843
715-634-2688 -
Chequamagon/Nicolet National Forest [exit DNR]
USDA Forest Service
604 Nyman Ave
Hayward WI 54843
715-634-4821 -
Conservation Department
Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe [exit DNR]
13394 W Trepania Road
Hayward WI 54843
715-634-0102
- Partners
- Additional information about the Chippewa Flowage may be obtained from the following:
-
Chippewa Flowage Lake Association [exit DNR]
P O Box 915
Hayward WI 54843 -
Chippewa Flowage Resort Association [exit DNR]
10630 W Twin Bay Road
Hayward WI 54843 -
Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau [exit DNR]
P O Box 1055
Hayward WI 54843
715-634-4801
1-800-724-2992 -
Chippewa Flowage Area Property Owner's Association [exit DNR]
P O Box 555
Hayward WI 54843-0555 -
Wisconsin Association of Lakes (WAL) [exit DNR]
4513 Vernon Blvd Suite 101
Madison WI 53705
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