Wolf River (Fox River)
Encyclopedia
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, along with the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
. The scenic portion is 24 miles (38.6 km) long. It rises in the north woods of the state, with the northernmost fork stemming from Pine Lake in Forest County
Forest County, Wisconsin
Forest County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,304. Its county seat is Crandon.-Indian Reservations:...
. The river then flows south through Langlade
Langlade County, Wisconsin
Langlade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 20,740. Its county seat is Antigo.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water...
and Menominee counties, where whitewater rafting is well known. Next the Wolf River flow through Shawano County
Shawano County, Wisconsin
Shawano County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 40,664. Its county seat is Shawano.-History:...
, where it collects the Red River
Red River (Wisconsin)
The Red River of Wisconsin is a tributary of the Wolf River. It flows through Gresham and has a dam. Below Gresham the Red River converges into the Wolf River in northern Shawano County....
, passes by the city of Shawano
Shawano, Wisconsin
Shawano is a city in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,305 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shawano County...
, then flows through Waupaca
Waupaca County, Wisconsin
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of...
and Outagamie
Outagamie County, Wisconsin
Outagamie is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its county seat is Appleton. As of the 2009 census estimate, its population was 177,155....
counties and back into Waupaca County
Waupaca County, Wisconsin
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of...
, where it collects the Embarrass River
Embarrass River
Embarrass River may refer to:*Embarrass River *Embarrass River -See also:*Embarras River in Illinois*Embarras River in Alberta, CA...
at the city of New London
New London, Wisconsin
New London is a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 7,295 at the 2010 census. The city has a Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Irish Fest, and week-long festivities, when the city's name is changed to "New Dublin" for the week. The American Water...
. The final stretch of the Wolf River collects the Little Wolf
Little Wolf River
The Little Wolf River of Wisconsin is a tributary of the Wolf River.The Little Wolf River originates near Galloway in southeast Marathon County and flows into Waupaca County through Big Falls and Manawa and has a dam. Below Manawa the Little Wolf River passes by Royalton then converges into the...
and the Waupaca rivers just below New London, then passes through Winnebago County
Winnebago County, Wisconsin
Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 163,370. Its county seat is Oshkosh. Winnebago County is included in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-Neenah, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, through Lake Poygan
Lake Poygan
Lake Poygan, located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin near the village of Winneconne, is an expansive widening of the Wolf River totaling over 14,000 acres . Lake Poygan is part of the Winnebago Pool, a series of interconnected lakes fed by both the Fox and Wolf Rivers...
and the city of Winneconne
Winneconne, Wisconsin
Winneconne is a village in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,401 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Winneconne...
to empty into Lake Butte des Morts
Lake Butte des Morts
Big Lake Butte des Morts is an lake located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and is part of the Winnebago Pool . The lake is fed by the Fox River in the southwest and the Wolf River draining from Lake Winneconne in the northwest, and drains via the Fox River southeast into Lake Winnebago...
.
Environmental concerns
Environmentalists were concerned about preserving the river when the Crandon mineCrandon mine
The proposed Crandon mine in Northeastern Wisconsin, USA near the town of Crandon and the Mole Lake Ojibwe Reservation in Forest County was the site of multi-decade political and regulatory battle between environmentalists, American Indian tribes, sportfishing groups, and the State of Wisconsin and...
was proposed near a tributary of the river. The Crandon Mine was purchased by the Sokaogon Mole Lake Chippewa Band
Sokaogon Chippewa Community
The Sokaogon Chippewa Community, or the Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is a band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, many of whom reside on the Mole Lake Indian Reservation, an Indian reservation located at in Mole Lake, Wisconsin, in Forest County near Crandon.The Mole Lake Indian...
tribe in 2003. The campaign to stop the Crandon Mine on the Wisconsin's Wolf River was the result of successful coalition-building efforts amongst Wisconsin's indigenous groups, environmentalists, and rural citizens.
The sturgeon guard
This river is noted for the sturgeonSturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
which spawn in the Wolf River and its parent, the Fox River
Fox River (Wisconsin)
The Fox River is a river in eastern and central Wisconsin in the United States. Along the banks is a chain of cities, including Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Little Chute, Kimberly, Combined Locks, and Kaukauna. Except for Oshkosh, these cities refer to themselves as the Fox Cities...
, in the springtime of the year, between approximately April 15 and May 5, as they swim upstream from Lake Winnebago. It is estimated that the extent of the lake sturgeon has dropped to about one-tenth of its population in the state since year 1800. Still, this species, which has existed since the time of the dinosaurs (100 million years ago), has a viable naturally-reproducing population, which are highly prized for the taste of their flesh, and also for their eggs, which are said to rival those of the beluga sturgeon
Beluga sturgeon
The beluga or European sturgeon is a species of anadromous fish in the sturgeon family of order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, in quality and price. Female sturgeon deposit their eggs only about every four to six years, starting at 20 years old, up to their life span of 50 years. At this age, the sturgeon are five feet long. The fish then spawn in the shallows of the Wolf river, as they swim upstream.
In order to protect the spawning locations of the sturgeon from poaching, when they are the most vulnerable, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources formed a citizen sturgeon guard called Sturgeon For Tomorrow in the early 1990s, who volunteer to watch over the spawning sites during the spawning season. The head guard, or "sturgeon general" assigns the site, an identifying hat (and souvenir), and cell phone for the 12-hour shift. The guards are warned not to confront poachers, but to call in the incident to the armed wardens.
The program is very popular in the state and weekend volunteer slots are filled quickly.
White Bass
The white bass or sand bass (Morone chrysops) is a freshwaterFreshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae
Moronidae
Temperate Bass is in the Family PercichthyidaeHow to know the freshwater fishes Samuel Eddy, James C. Underhill.Moronidae, also known as the "temperate basses", is a family of perciform fish consisting of 6 freshwater and marine species...
that also spawns in the Wolf River. The spring spawn typically occurs during the last two weeks of May when the female of the species is prevalent. During this time there is a huge influx of fisherman (boating and shore) to the entire Wolf system. The average White Bass taken from the Wolf watershed typically measures 200-300 mm (8-12inches) in length with a maximum of about 475mm (19inches).http://www.wiscfish.org/fishid/wFrmWisconsinFIshList.aspxhttp://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/fwhitebass1.html While different fishing methods and techniques are used http://wrcfishing.wordpress.com/, the most common is the river rig (also known as the Wolf River rig).