Potato Lake (Rusk County, Wisconsin)

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Potato Lake
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Potato Lake
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Potato Lake
Location Rusk County, Wisconsin,
United States
Coordinates 45°19′47″N91°24′57″W / 45.3298°N 91.415944°W / 45.3298; -91.415944 Coordinates: 45°19′47″N91°24′57″W / 45.3298°N 91.415944°W / 45.3298; -91.415944
Basin  countriesUnited States
Surface area534 acres (2 km2)
Max. depth40 ft (12 m)

Potato Lake is a lake located in the northwestern part of Wisconsin. It is in the far southwestern corner of Rusk County, approximately 12 miles east of Chetek, Wisconsin. Potato Lake is one of Rusk County's 88 named lakes, and can be accessed by a ramped public boat landing. It is a drainage lake [1] that is connected to McDermott Creek and Potato Creek. Potato Creek eventually flows into the Chippewa River.

Contents

Fishing

Anglers enjoy Potato Lake's offerings, especially those wanting to catch the Wisconsin muskellunge, also known as the musky. The musky is highly prized, so much so, that in 1955 it was officially named the state fish of Wisconsin. [2] The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has named Potato Lake as one of the state's class A1 musky waters, [3] which means that the lake may harbor trophy-sized muskellunge. The minimum length requirement for a legally caught musky on Potato Lake is 40 inches. [4]

Other fish in Potato Lake include panfish such as bluegill, crappies, pumpkinseed sunfish, and perch; and game fish such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. If anglers are fishing for walleye on Potato Lake, they must abide by the Ceded Territory bag limit of 3 walleye per licensed fisherman [5] rather than the 5 walleye bag limit on non-Ceded Territory lakes.

Related Research Articles

Muskellunge Species of fish

The muskellunge(Esox masquinongy), often shortened to muskie, musky or lunge, also nicknamed "the fish of 10,000 casts," is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae.

Tiger muskellunge Hybrid fish

The tiger muskellunge, commonly called tiger muskie, is a carnivorous fish, and is the usually-sterile, hybrid offspring of the true muskellunge and the northern pike. It lives in fresh water and its range extends to Canada, the Northeast, and the Midwest United States. It grows quickly; in one study, tiger muskie grew 1.5 times as fast as muskellunge. Like other hybrid species, tiger muskie are said to have "hybrid vigor," meaning they grow faster and stronger than the parent fish, and are also less susceptible to disease. Trophy specimens weigh about 14 kg (30 lb). Its main diet is fish and small birds. The tiger muskie and the muskie are called the fish of 10,000 casts due to the challenge involved in catching them.

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References

  1. Wisconsin Lakes (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). 2009.
  2. "Wisconsin Musky". WDNR. Archived from the original on 2010-11-16. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  3. "Wisconsin Muskellunge Waters: Rusk County". WDNR. Archived from the original on 2010-06-04. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  4. "Guide to Wisconsin Hook and line Fishing Regulations 2010-2011". WDNR. Archived from the original on 2010-08-09. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  5. "2010-2011 Revised Ceded Territory Walleye Bag Limits" (PDF). WDNR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2010-11-06.