Lake Koshkonong

About Lake Koshkonong

Lake Koshkonong, which stretches across southern Wisconsin and is located in the southern part of the state of Wisconsin, north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a fantastic place for boating and fishing. This lake in a southern savanna has a rich history of attracting visitors from all over the world.

Lake Koshkonong was founded in 1846 by the construction of the Indianford Dam and is the second largest lake in the state of Wisconsin and the third largest in North America. The lake extends over the southern part of southern Wisconsin, north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is an inflow and outflow of water from the Rock River, which forms the inflow and outflow of this lake, and a total of 2.2 million cubic meters of freshwater are available for fishing and boating.

Before the dam was built, the area now covered by the lake was so large that it looked more like a meadow than a lake. Reports written at the time described millions of ducks landing in the fields to eat rice, and the sun sometimes almost obscured the sky and darkened by the sun. Occasionally horses and their riders even got lost in this huge field and had to turn back.

In the early 20th century, hungry carp invading from the Great Lakes and other parts of North America and Europe destroyed most of the plants and rice. Clouden and Luke Stoughton built the Indianford Dam in 1884 and operated a sawmill that raised the water level and expanded the surface of Lake Koshkonong to 10,460 hectares.

In 1917, the wooden Indianford Dam was replaced by a concrete dam, and in 1929 it belonged to the Wisconsin Power and Light Company, which rebuilt it in 1931. The dam produced electricity until 1961, when it became uneconomic.

In 1965, the Wisconsin Power and Light Company moved the Indianford Dam to Rock County, and the dam suffered damage due to poor maintenance. In 1974, several Wisconsin power companies tried to build a nuclear power plant on Lake Koshkonong, but the proposal was rejected because the lake was so large that it was feared that the plant would run out of water during drought years. As three counties benefited from a lake, questions about the responsibility for the dams became a problem.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources controls the lake's water level and pulls the water slightly down in winter and up slightly in summer. Advocates of the surrounding wetlands believed that rising water levels would permanently damage their habitat and threaten the plants and animal species that live there. The Rock-Koshkonong Lake District appealed to the Wisconsin DNR to raise water levels by seven centimetres and lift the winter freeze, but their request was denied. In 1974 Rock Kosk was founded in the KOSHKONongLake District (RKLD) and equipped with the possibility to collect taxes to protect and preserve Kashmah Lake.

The lake is full of fish and in winter anglers can catch ice fish, and whale populations abound. DNR of the Wisconsin fishery in Koshkonong Lake and there is a large population of whales in the lake, as well as a number of other fish species.

The lake is ideal for jet skiing and is also popular with water skiers and jet skiers. In summer it is a great place to relax with its magnificent views of Lake Superior and the Great Lakes.

The Koshkonong Lake is named after General Henry Atkinson, who commanded Fort Koshkonong during the Black Hawk War.

Indian warrior and leader of the Black Hawk, who led the US Army in the Battle of Lake Superior in 1812, the first major battle of the First World War.

The fort is located in the present-day town of Fort Atkinson and there is a museum, park, amphitheater, Koshkonong Lake Museum and Lake Superior Museum. Fortkinson has shops, restaurants and various accommodations, but it is best known as the site of the Black Hawk War and a tourist attraction.

Some properties are for sale in Koshkonong Lake and apartments are available for visitors who wish to extend their stay.

The Bolz Winter Garden hosts indoor and outdoor exhibitions, including exotic plants, orchids, birds and waterfalls. The Olbrich has a sunken garden, an outdoor pool, a pool house and a pool. Located 30 minutes northwest of Koshkonong Lake, the hotel features a 16-hectare garden for leisurely walks.

There is something for everyone to discover at the beautiful Koshkonong Lake, and with several groups, including the RKLD, which monitors the water quality of Lake Koschkonong, visitors are inspired by the natural beauty of the lake and its natural history.