A few miles east of St. Croix Falls one can find the Village of Turtle Lake. With over 250 named lakes nestle amid the rolling hills and woodlands, one finds themselves right in the middle of what the Wisconsin Northwoods has to offer. These forests of pine, maple, oak, and birch are homes to a wide variety of wildlife including bear, fox, deer, loons, herons, wild turkey, and the always majestic bald eagle.
Originally the area was settled by the Ojibwa Indians thousands of years ago. They traded with French and English fur traders for 200 years before the Europeans began settling the area in the 1800s. The original settlement was named Skowhagen, after one of the settler's home town in Maine. In 1862, the Turtle Lakes got their name from government surveyors who noticed many turtles laying eggs on the bank. Later, the Knapp Stout Lumber Company built and operated a number of logging camps on the lakes. When the Chicago and North Western railroad was built past the lakes, the lumber company requested supplies be delivered to Turtle Lake and not to the town of Skowhagen. Eventually, when the post office was built, it was also designated Turtle Lake and so the name Skowhagen was dropped.
Today, 1,089 people call Turtle lake homes with thousands of visitors passing through to enjoy the many things Turtle Lake has to offer.
Sport fishing is very popular here. The village is surrounded by a chain of lakes including Upper and Lower Turtle Lake, Horseshoe, Echo, Moon, Skinaway, Loon, Staples, and other smaller lakes. The abundance of lakes in the area support healthy populations of bass, walleye, pike, perch, crappies and trout.
In fall, Turtle Lake becomes an explosion of color as the leaves turn fantastic shades of red and gold in preparation for the coming winter. With fall comes the harvest and area farms produce staples like corn, alfalfa, dairy products, high-quality vegetables while some concentrate on specialty products like maple syrup and ginseng.
In the winter, the numerous trails surrounding Turtle Lake come to life with the soft swishing of cross country skiers and the throb of snowmobiles. And just because it's 15 below doesn't mean you have to stop fishing. Grab your auger and head out onto one of the many lakes for a little ice fishing.
