Fawn Lake

Does Fawn Lake Flush?

• How long does it take for Fawn Lake to “flush,” which means the water in the lake is completely replaced? A little less than a day for Fawn Lake’s water to be replaced, flushing ~ 430 times in a year!  Big Saint’s water is replaced about every 256 days, while Lake Content flushes about every 3 years.
• The Big St. Germain Dam artificially raises water levels in Fawn, Big Saint, & Content by approximately 2 feet.  Commissioned in 1923, the dam is 7 feet high & 117 feet long, separating Fawn Lake from the St. Germain River.
• With 31 native aquatic plants, Fawn’s slow-no-wake waters mean a diversity of floating leaf plants.  Plants of special concern, like Vasey’s pondweed, are protected. Vasey’s pondweed only grows in high quality waters, along with spatterdock, water lilies, and floating-leaf bur-reed.
• Fawn Lake is a littoral zone; the entire lake can support aquatic plant growth due to its 10-ft depth, allowing sunlight to reach the lakebed.

Vasey’s Pondweed, a species of special concern in WI (by Peter Dziuk)

Lake Stakeholder 2019 Survey: Fawn, Content, Big Saint, Moon/Alma Lakes

• Top 5 activities enjoyed by lake property owners: fishing, ice fishing, motor boating, relaxing/entertaining, nature viewing
• Lake property owners use kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards (61%), motorboats (53%), pontoons (48%), row boats & small fishing boats (47%), paddle boats (23%), jet skis (14%), and sailboats (7%).
• Top 5 lake property owner concerns: water quality degradation, loss of aquatic habitats, shoreline erosion, aquatic invasive species (AIS) introduction
• Most important to property owners?  Water Clarity!
• Do you fish on your lake?  Yes!  (77%)
• Favorite fish to catch? walleye (62%), panfish (51%) & crappie (50%)

Why do we care about our 3 lakes?

• St. Germain’s tourism economy and our property values depend on our beautiful, high-quality lakes. If anglers, pleasure boaters, kayakers, swimmers, water skiers, and many others can no longer enjoy pristine, peaceful waters, then we all suffer. 
• Many other animals & plants make our three lakes their homes, and they depend on healthy habitats and high-quality waters.
• Contact us with concerns, thoughts, or photos you would like to share!  Thank you!  Connectingourlakes@gmail.com

Permission for photos & information:  WI DNR, Onterra LLC Lake Management Planning, Katy Chayka & Peter Dziuk (Minnesota Wildflowers) & others.