JULY 4TH BOAT PARADE
Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday by joining the Van Vliet Lake Boat Parade.
Bring your watercraft to the east side of the lake at 11AM Saturday, July 4th for a leisurely lap around the lake saluting your lake neighbors on this special day.
Hope to see you there!
Annual Member Meeting Is Scheduled for Saturday, July 11th 2026
On Saturday, July 11, 2026 the Van Vliet Lake Association will hold our annual meeting followed by a potluck
lunch and social hour.
Please “save the date” on your calendar and plan to attend.
VAN VLIET LAKE AUGUST 2026 SURFACE WATER STUDY
In early August of this summer, White Water Associates (an independent environmental consulting organization and analytical laboratory, based in Amasa Michigan) has scheduled an intense three-day survey and study of Van Vliet Lake.
Their field team of three people is comprised of professional biologists and field technicians will be conducting two very labor-intensive surveys. Although they will certainly welcome friendly greetings from lake residents and visitors, their tasks don’t permit time to detail in conversation their methodology. Those details will be published and become available later this fall and posted on this website for all to view.
The survey will be two parts.
I) The Point-Intercept (PI) Aquatic Plant Survey investigates the entire aquatic plant community in the lake.
II) The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Early Detection Survey is focused on detecting aquatic invasive species (plants and animals) in the lake.
The majority of the funding for the survey will be covered by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Town of Presque Isle, and funds from the Van Vliet Lake Association.
The overall goal of this project is to review the current aquatic ecosystem of Van Vliet Lake by analyzing its health and diversity, documenting any changes, and documenting any aquatic invasive species.
North Lakeland Woods and Water Conference
Friday, May 3rd the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters held its first Woods and Water Conference.
A representative of VVLA attended the conference for education, information sharing and review of “best practices” utilized by other Vilas County Lake Associations. The all-day conference was structured with,
- 14 Speakers/Presenters each giving between 15-20 minute subject presentations
- Topics covered a wide range of subjects including;
- Basics of Wisconsin Lake Districts
- Wake Boat Effects on Lakes
- Shoreland Habitat on the Effect on Fish Habitat
- The State of Culverts in Vilas County
- Northwoods Land Trusts
- Recognizing and Managing Terrestrial Invasive Species
Lots of information sharing, presenters included PhD Biologists, Private Business Owners, Wisconsin DNR, and staff from the Discovery Center.
What’s Going On With the Lake Level On Van Vliet Lake?
Van Vliet Lake levels were certainly a topic of conversation for many of us last Spring and Summer in 2023.
Are you interested in learning more about VanVliet Lake level fluctuations?
There are several ongoing research initiatives on northern Wisconsin Lakes that you may find both fascinating and educational on the subject. Attached are links to two articles and a lake level graph to get you started on being better informed.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361607110_Extreme_water_level_rise_across_the_upper_Laurentian_Great_Lakes_region_Citizen_science_documentation_2010-2020
Wake Boats
The Van Vliet Lake Association takes a firm stance against the use of Wake Boats on Van Vliet Lake. The attached link is a presentation on the harm done by wake boats by Jeff Meessmann, a member of The Last Wilderness Alliance.