Lac Courte Oreilles
| Lac Courte Oreilles | |
|---|---|
| Odaawaa-zaaga'igan (Ojibwe) | |
Lac Courte Oreilles Lac Courte Oreilles | |
| Location | Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°53′N 91°25′W / 45.883°N 91.417°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | approx. 6 mi (9.6 km) |
| Max. width | approx. 2 mi (3.2 km) at widest |
| Surface area | 5,039 acres (2,039 ha) |
| Max. depth | 90 ft (27 m) |
| Water volume | 168,800 acre-feet (208,200,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 25.4 mi (40.9 km) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lac Courte Oreilles (/ləˈkuːdəreɪ/ lə-KOO-də-ray) is a large freshwater lake in northwest Wisconsin in Sawyer County in townships 39 and 40 north, ranges 8 and 9 west. It is irregular in shape, with many peninsulas and bays, and is about six miles long in a southwest to northeast direction, with a maximum width of about two miles (3 km). Lac Courte Oreilles is 5,039 acres (20.39 km2) in size, with a maximum depth of 90 feet (27 m) and a shoreline of 25.4 miles (40.9 km). It has a small inlet stream, Grindstone Creek, that enters on its northeast shore and flows from Grindstone Lake, a short distance to the north. An outlet on the southeast shore leads to Little Lac Courte Oreilles, then via the Couderay River to the Chippewa River, and ultimately to the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin.
Lac Courte Oreilles is about eight and a half miles southeast of the city of Hayward, the primary commercial and retail center of the area, and is one of three large natural lakes (Lac Courte Oreilles, Grindstone Lake, and Round Lake) south and east of the city. There is a small unincorporated residential community on the lake's north side commonly called Northwoods (or North Woods) Beach. The eastern part of the lake is in the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation. The shore is principally occupied by seasonal cabins and homes.
Lac Courte Oreilles has an abundance of northern pike, muskie, walleye, bass, and other fish, and is a popular fishing destination. It is a popular resort area, drawing cabin owners and visitors from the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Chicago metropolitan areas.