Paddling season is here in the Great Lakes region! One of my favorite summer paddles in southeastern Wisconsin is Lulu Lake. Located in Walworth County in southeastern Wisconsin, Lulu Lake State Natural Area was designated a State natural area in 1977. The Lulu Lake SNA is jointly managed by the Nature Conservancy and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
At 40 feet in depth, Lulu lake is fed by the Mukwonago River, a kettle lake. Kettle is a glacial term for a round depression formed by the melting of a block of ice that has detached from (calved from) a receding glacier during the last Ice Age. These round depressions become kettle lakes, and are numerous throughout the Kettle Moraine region and southern Wisconsin.
Today, Lulu Lake is a slow, no-wake lake whose shoreline provides habitat for high-quality, conservative native plants, many of which are not found elsewhere in the state of Wisconsin. Check out the map of the Lulu Lake State Natural Area, which shows the preserve property surrounding Lulu Lake.
Paddling Lulu Lake
There is much to explore by boat in Lulu Lake. If you’re interested in exploring conservative native plants, you can launch your kayak from the public boat launch on Eagle Spring Lake, located on Wambold Rd. The launch is user-friendly and great for beginners; there is no fee, but there is generally an attendant at the launch and a nice tip goes a long way. From the launch at Eagle Spring Lake, you’ll paddle across Eagle Spring Lake through a narrow channel (full of water lilies!) located at the southwest corner of the lake. You’ll paddle approximately one mile south to reach Lulu Lake.
Directions to Eagle Springs Lake Boat Launch
The Eagle Spring Lake Boat Launch is on Wambold Road off of County Highway E, across from the Eagle Springs Pub in Mukwonago. From the intersection of Highway N/Highway J in Troy Center, take J eastward for about 2 miles; head north on Highway E for another 2 miles, then west on Wambold Rd. for a tenth of a mile to reach the public boat launch.
Parking at the Eagle Springs Boat Launch
Parking is available along the sides of Wambold Road; during the summer months, this launch is quite busy and you may have to park up to a quarter mile from the launch. You can, however, park in the grass near the launch temporarily to unload your boat before parking. Be sure to watch for boat traffic as you cross Eagle Spring Lake.
Lulu Lake’s Unique Landscape
Tamarack trees (deciduous conifers also referred to as eastern larch or hackmatack) dot the landscape along the northwest shoreline of the lake. Technically, larch and tamarack trees are different species but share the same genus; as such, their names are often used interchangeably.
Lulu Lake’s Native Wetland and Calcareous Fen Plants
On the north and west side of Lulu Lake, you’ll find a large wetland complex and calcareous fen (a rare wetland composed of peat, fed by mineral-rich groundwater); an inlet stream enters the lake from the north, dotted with conservative native fen species such as Kalm’s lobelia, purple false foxglove, swamp betony, ladies tresses, and others.
Conservative Plant Species
I’ve included some images of the more conservative native wetland and calcareous fen species observed along the inlet to Lulu Lake and adjacent wetland. Many of these plants are tiny, and not easily observed unless you are right along the shoreline.
Lulu Lake is worthy of a morning, afternoon, or full day of exploration; this beautiful lake is a clean, picturesque, must-see destination for paddlers. Get out there and enjoy Wisconsin’s many beautiful lakes!
As a note, if you’re a silent sports enthusiast and interested in exploring more of southern Wisconsin by bike, check out my blog post Glacial Drumlin State Trail – Glacial Landscapes of Southern Wisconsin. This picturesque trail is one my favorite Rail Trails in Wisconsin!
Happy paddling!
– Erin
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