OCONOMOWOC LAKE, ETC. 31 



OCONOMOWOC LAKE, AND OTHER SMALL LAKES OF 

 WISCONSIN, CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO 

 THEIR CAPACITY FOR FISH-PRODUCTION. 



BY I. A. LAPHAM. 



The Oconomowoc Lake in Waukesha county, on the line of the 

 Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, is one of those beauti- 

 f al sheets of clear, cold water that may be taken as a type or repre- 

 sentative of hundreds of others within the State of Wisconsin. A 

 few facts and observations in regard to this lake may therefore be 

 of interest to the Fish Commissioners, and to all who desire to en- 

 courage the increase of fish-production. 



As shown upon the plats of the government land surveys, it has 

 a length of two miles; breadth, three-fourths of a mile; a shore 

 line of six and a half miles; covering an area of 830 acres, or one 

 and three-tenths square miles. 



Its elevation above Lake Michigan, as ascertained many years 

 ago, in making the survey of the Milwaukee and Rock River 

 Canal, is two hundred and eighty-two feet. Its irregular form can 

 best be seen by reference to the accompanying chart. 



The Oconomowoc River, a small stream which is the outlet of 

 several other lakes, enters it on the north shore and leaves it at the 

 northwest corner. So irregular is the shape of this lake that it 

 might be taken to illustrate geographical terms, as gulf, bay, point, 

 cape, promontor}^, peninsula; it has also straits, channels, bars, 

 shoals and its coast-line. 



The banks of the lake consist mostly of high grounds which are 

 selected as sites of beautiful, often costly residences, which, especi- 

 ally when duplicated by reflection from the smooth surface of the 

 water, form landscapes worthy of the pencil of the painter. 



The lines of figures on the accompanying chart show the depth 

 of the water as measured in 1875. They indicate three principal 

 depressions, the deepest being 6Q feet,* the mean of all the sound- 

 ings is 39 feet. 



^ The greatest depths measured in other lakes in the vicinity were : 



Fe3t. 



Nagowicka, 100 LaBelle 4o 



Upper Nashota.h 



Lower Nashotah 50 



Pewaukee 50 



Feet. 



Silver Lake 40 



Upper Genesee 39 



Lower Naniahbin 3t 



