Fox Lake (Wisconsin) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fox Lake
Fox Lake Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Fox Lake Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Dodge County, Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°34′59″N 88°55′47″W / 43.5831539°N 88.9298318°W / 43.5831539; -88.9298318
Type	Reservoir
Surface area	2,713 acres (1,098 ha)
Average depth	7 feet (2.1 m)
Max. depth	19 feet (5.8 m)
Water volume	19,307 acre-feet (23,815,000 m3)
Shore length1	17.9 miles (28.8 km)
Surface elevation	889 feet (271 m)
Islands	8
Settlements	Fox Lake, Lyndon Dale, Delbern Acres
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Fox Lake is a large lake in Dodge County, Wisconsin. It covers about 2,713 acres, which is like more than 2,000 football fields! The towns of Fox Lake, Lyndon Dale, and Delbern Acres are all located along its shores.

You can find two public boat landings at Fox Lake. These are great spots to launch your boat and explore the water. The lake is home to many fish, including Panfish, Musky, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. A part of the lake is shaped like a bay and is known as "The Jug." This area is near the City of Fox Lake.

Scientists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have studied the lake's bottom. They found that 1% of the bottom is sand, 30% is gravel, and 69% is muck. Water flows out of Fox Lake through the Fox Lake Dam into Mill Creek, which then leads to Beaver Dam Lake.

Fun at Fox Lake: Parks and Boating

Fox Lake has two public parks where you can enjoy the outdoors. These are Clausen Park, located in the City of Fox Lake, and Town Park, found on the northwest side of the lake. Both parks offer public boat landings. You might need to pay a small fee to launch your boat there. These parks are perfect for spending a day by the water.

Fishing Fun in Fox Lake

If you love to fish, Fox Lake is a great place to cast your line! The Wisconsin DNR says that the most common fish you can catch here are Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. While other types of fish might be in the lake, these five are the ones you're most likely to find.

Adding Fish to the Lake

To help keep the fish population strong, Fox Lake has been stocked with fish since 1972. From the 1970s until the late 1990s, different kinds of fish were added, including Largemouth Bass, Musky, Walleye, and Northern Pike. Since 2001, the focus has been on stocking Walleye and Northern Pike. A huge number of these fish have been put into the lake: over 6.7 million Northern Pike and more than 1.2 million Walleye!

Exploring the Islands of Fox Lake

Fox Lake has eight islands! These islands vary in size, from very small ones that are only about 0.2 acres to larger ones that are almost 12 acres. They add to the natural beauty of the lake.

Protecting Fox Lake: Invasive Species

Fox Lake has faced challenges from eight different types of invasive species. These are plants or animals that are not native to the area and can harm the lake's natural environment. The first invasive species was found in 1982 by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Five of the eight species were identified between 2010 and 2014.

Here are some of the invasive species found in Fox Lake:

1. Curly-Leaf Pondweed
2. Eurasian Water-Milfoil
3. Freshwater Jellyfish
4. Hybrid Eurasian / Northern Water-Milfoil
5. Phragmites (non-native)
6. Purple Loosestrife
7. Rusty Crayfish
8. Zebra Mussel

It's important to learn about these species to help protect Fox Lake and other natural areas.