Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USGS gauge 05390100 Wisconsin River at Lac Vieux Desert outlet | USGS gauge | 46.12162, -89.15208 | At the outlet dam. Follow the link for the current reading. |
| 2 | Lac Vieux Desert Dam Outlet dam · NID WI01138 | Dam / hazard | 46.12148, -89.15252 | The lake outlet and the head of the Wisconsin River. |
| 3 | Lac Vieux Desert Carry-In Wisconsin Valley Improvement Co · gravel carry-in | Access / boat ramp | 46.12163, -89.15232 | Carry-in put-in at the outlet, logged by WDNR against the Wisconsin River rather than the lake. |
| 4 | Lac Vieux Desert Access US Forest Service · concrete panel ramp | Access / boat ramp | 46.13446, -89.14993 | Trailer ramp on the Wisconsin shore, beside the Forest Service recreation area. |
| 5 | Lac Vieux Desert Recreation Area US Forest Service campground | Campsite | 46.13634, -89.15131 | |
| 6 | Lac Vieux Desert Boat Launch Michigan DNR · north shore | Access / boat ramp | 46.15947, -89.11762 | The Michigan-side launch. Its parent access parcel is mapped separately in OSM and is not listed twice. |
| 7 | Lac Vieux Desert Lake Public Access Concrete panel ramp · east end | Access / boat ramp | 46.12353, -89.07362 |
Gauge: USGS 05390100 — LAC VIEUX DESERT NEAR LAND O'LAKES, WI. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch
Regulations: dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Public boat landings on both the Wisconsin and Michigan shores.
Land O Lakes: the nearest town with services, bait and lodging.
Resorts around the lake offer launching, rentals and guides.
Extensive shallow weed and bog edges make up the main cover.
The Wisconsin River outlet at the south end is fishable water in itself.
Ice access in winter is straightforward from the public landings.
Note: the lake spans a state line. Check which licence you need.
Winter: walleye, perch and pike through the ice in a long hard season.
Spring: walleye after ice-out and pike in the warming bays.
Summer: weed-edge muskie and walleye fishing, quiet Northwoods weeks.
Fall: the classic muskellunge season and the best fishing of the year.