Shawano Lake

Shawano Lake
Looking west from Cecil's park
Location	Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates	44°48′36″N 88°30′47″W / 44.81000°N 88.51306°W / 44.81000; -88.51306Coordinates: 44°48′36″N 88°30′47″W / 44.81000°N 88.51306°W / 44.81000; -88.51306
Primary inflows	Loon Creek
Primary outflows	Wolf River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	6,178 acres (2,500 ha)
Average depth	9 ft (2.7 m)
Max. depth	42 ft (13 m)
Surface elevation	802 feet (244 m)
Islands	Schumacher Island
Settlements	Shawano, Cecil

Shawano Lake is a lake situated in Shawano County in northeastern Wisconsin. Shawano Lake is a hard water drainage lake with multiple inlets and one major outlet, the Wolf River. A dam on the Wolf River located in the City of Shawano raises the water levels of Shawano Lake. Shawano Lake is approximately 6,178 acres (25.00 km²), with an average depth of approximately 9 feet (2.7 m) and a maximum depth of approximately 42 feet (13 m). The shoreline length is estimated at 18 miles (29 km). The Towns of Wescott, and Washington, and the Village of Cecil border Shawano Lake.

Shawano Lake is a popular lake for recreational fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing, bird watching, hunting, and other outdoor activities. It is currently a eutrophic lake with elevated levels of algae blooms, nutrients, and nuisance aquatic plants. Aquatic plant management is a major management objective for the lake.

Shawano Lake is one of the most heavily fished lakes in the area. It contains many species of fish, including walleye, largemouth bass and panfish in the early season. Ice fisherman concentrate on northern pike and panfish. Fishing tournaments are common on the lake. Two ice racing tracks are used on the lake in the winter.

Shawano Lake is heavily developed, with dense residential housing surrounding most of the shoreline. It lies within the Shawano Lake Sanitary District, so all dwellings have sanitary sewers and public water supply. There are many resorts and cabin rentals on the lake.

Shawano Lake is managed as a warm water fishery. The primary game fish species are northern pike, largemouth bass, and walleye. The predominant panfish are bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch and pumpkinseed. Good natural reproduction supports the fishery. Over the last ten years a musky population has been established and is maintained by annual stocking. A walleye spawning reef was developed on Shawano Lake in the mid-1980s. Green sturgeon exist in relative abundance. Annual fall electrofishing surveys are conducted on the lake to monitor the reproductive success of walleye and largemouth bass, with periodic spring fyke netting surveys conducted to monitor the overall fishery.