Lake Wissota
Encyclopedia
Lake Wissota is a reservoir
in Chippewa County, Wisconsin
, USA, just east of the city of Chippewa Falls
. It covers an area of 6024 acres (24.4 km²) and has a maximum depth of 72 feet (21.9 m). The lake was formed by the construction of a hydroelectric dam
on the Chippewa River
, completed in 1917. The dam was built by the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Company. An engineer on the project, Louis G. Arnold, named the lake by combining the beginning of "Wisconsin" and the ending of "Minnesota".
Lake Wissota is surrounded on the south by the town of Lafayette
, on the north and east by the town of Anson, and on the west by the town of Eagle Point.
The lake is divided into two parts by a peninsula upon which is the center of Lake Wissota Village. The smaller southern portion of the lake, the flooded portion of the valley formed by Paint Creek, is often called "Little Lake Wissota". The larger portion of the lake, lying to the north of Lake Wissota Village, is usually just called "Lake Wissota", although it is sometimes also called "Big Lake Wissota". The lake is fed by several other rivers and streams besides the Chippewa River, which enters the lake from the northwest and exits to the southwest, and Paint Creek which enters Little Lake Wissota from the east, respectively. These include Stillson Creek, which enters Little Lake Wissota from the southwest, the Yellow River
which enters from the east at Moon Bay, and O'Neil Creek, which enters in the northwest, near the entrance of the Chippewa River.
The lake is a popular recreation
destination in northwestern Wisconsin, in the summer for boating
, canoeing
, fishing
, water skiing
and swimming, and in the winter for ice fishing
. On the northeastern shore lies Lake Wissota State Park
, popular with campers, hikers, swimmers and anglers.
Titanic
, Leonardo DiCaprio
's character Jack Dawson mentions that he went ice fishing on the frozen waters of Lake Wissota as a boy. This would have been impossible, as the Titanic sank in 1912, three years before construction on the dam that formed Lake Wissota began.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County...
, USA, just east of the city of Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
. It covers an area of 6024 acres (24.4 km²) and has a maximum depth of 72 feet (21.9 m). The lake was formed by the construction of a hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
on the Chippewa River
Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...
, completed in 1917. The dam was built by the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Company. An engineer on the project, Louis G. Arnold, named the lake by combining the beginning of "Wisconsin" and the ending of "Minnesota".
Lake Wissota is surrounded on the south by the town of Lafayette
Lafayette, Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Lafayette is a town in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,199 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place known as Lake Wissota is located within the town.-Education:...
, on the north and east by the town of Anson, and on the west by the town of Eagle Point.
The lake is divided into two parts by a peninsula upon which is the center of Lake Wissota Village. The smaller southern portion of the lake, the flooded portion of the valley formed by Paint Creek, is often called "Little Lake Wissota". The larger portion of the lake, lying to the north of Lake Wissota Village, is usually just called "Lake Wissota", although it is sometimes also called "Big Lake Wissota". The lake is fed by several other rivers and streams besides the Chippewa River, which enters the lake from the northwest and exits to the southwest, and Paint Creek which enters Little Lake Wissota from the east, respectively. These include Stillson Creek, which enters Little Lake Wissota from the southwest, the Yellow River
Yellow River (Chippewa River)
The Yellow River in north central Wisconsin is a tributary of the Chippewa River. For the most part it is a mud and rock-bottomed river flowing through forest and farmland...
which enters from the east at Moon Bay, and O'Neil Creek, which enters in the northwest, near the entrance of the Chippewa River.
The lake is a popular recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
destination in northwestern Wisconsin, in the summer for boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
and swimming, and in the winter for ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
. On the northeastern shore lies Lake Wissota State Park
Lake Wissota State Park
Lake Wissota State Park is a Wisconsin state park near the town of Chippewa Falls. The park is situated on the northeast shore of Lake Wissota, a reservoir on the Chippewa River. Camping, boating, and fishing are the most popular activities. Park lands are covered in a mix of pine/hardwood...
, popular with campers, hikers, swimmers and anglers.
Popular culture
In the 1997 filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
's character Jack Dawson mentions that he went ice fishing on the frozen waters of Lake Wissota as a boy. This would have been impossible, as the Titanic sank in 1912, three years before construction on the dam that formed Lake Wissota began.