O’Leary Lake Offers Opportunities

There’s a tiny little lake in the southwestern-most corner of Wisconsin that provides a multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities year-round. O’Leary Lake, located approximately 3 miles from the Wisconsin-Iowa bridge at Dubuque, Iowa, is a 7-acre, shallow lake with a 14-foot depth at its deepest point. Most of the lake is much shallower. The lake borders the Mississippi River.

I ventured to the lake in hopes of finding people enjoying the beautiful winter day, and I lucked out! The place was hopping with activity. Groups were fishing on the ice, both on the lake and on the Mississippi River; people were walking their dogs; some were snowshoeing; others were photographing the eagles swooping down for fish below the dam.

A pair of photographers were stationed closest to the dam watching the eagles come and go. I chatted with one of them as he walked back to his vehicle for equipment. He said he and his daughter were from Madison and were spending the day together photographing eagles. They had already been to several spots in Iowa and Illinois and this was their last stop of the day. He said it was the best spot they had found for watching the active eagles.

I caught myself watching a couple walking with their dog. They brought a ball with and the dog was an excellent fetcher. Their position on the berm and the bright colors of the dog’s toys made for a great winter action shot.

On the ice of O’Leary Lake, a dad and three kids set up their fishing area. The dad would drill a hole in the ice and the kids would remove the slush so the dad could set up the tip-ups. The kids had lots of questions, but they were eager to help.

There were several others fishing on the ice. They all seemed to have slightly different set-ups, from sitting on a bucket to standing to using a shanty. There is no right or wrong way as long as you’re dressed warmly, follow the fishing regulations and stay safe out on the ice.

As I was getting ready to leave, a man drove up to me to ask if I’d seen the group out on the river yet. Yes, I did notice the brave souls fishing way too close to open water for my comfort. I drove out to the barge on the southwest side of the lake and stood on the snow-covered rocky shore to get a closer look. Even with all of the cracks in the ice, fishermen didn’t seem too concerned about drilling more holes and adding more people to the shelf of ice. It was a risk I wasn’t taking.

Leaving the park, a carload of people of all ages were strapping on snowshoes to explore the area with their pups. They had at least eight people – grandparents, parents and children. They had so much energy. You could just tell they were going to have a great time.

O’Leary Lake may not be large, but it does have a lot to offer. It is bustling with activity year-round due to the permanent barge set up where the lake meets the river. In summer you can watch the boats and barges maneuvering the dam. A variety of birds can be seen feeding in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. And O’Leary Lake is a great place to spot turtles sunning on fallen trees. The bridge at the entrance to the lake is also a great place to watch the trains, just stay out of the way of traffic. And, when the lake and river aren’t covered in ice, there is a boat landing for kayakers and fishing boats to get to the Mississippi River and backwaters.

Give it a try. It is located on Eagle Point Road south of Kieler, exit 3 on Hwy. 151. If you are coming from Dubuque, use exit 2 and follow Badger Road north (left) to Eagle Point Road, then turn west (left) to get to the lake.