Chippewa, Wisconsin · Modeled from NWS station data

Lake Wissota ice & water conditions

Name: Lake Wissota ice and water conditions reference
Creator: Sportsman Authority
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Open-water season. The freeze model activates when the 2026-27 hardwater season begins in November.

Updated Jul 19, 12:16 PM CDT · Species: walleye, crappie, muskellunge, smallmouth bass

Ring: DNR new-clear-ice reference bands (inches). Model activates when the freeze season begins.

Air temperature · KEAU

78.8 F

Haze · Jul 19, 12:05 PM CDT

Parameter 63160 · Below-dam reference (not pool level)

801.4 ft

Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls (immediately below the Wissota dam) · Jul 19, 11:00 AM CDT

Gage height · Below-dam reference (not pool level)

2.9 ft

Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls (immediately below the Wissota dam) · Jul 19, 11:00 AM CDT

Flow · Below-dam reference (not pool level)

1,490 ft^3/s

Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls (immediately below the Wissota dam) · Jul 19, 11:00 AM CDT

Sun

Rise 5:37 AM · Set 8:47 PM

NOAA solar calculation · 44.97, -91.32

Know this lake's data

Wissota is a hydro reservoir on the Chippewa River. The gage shown is tailwater below the dam: strong regional flow context, not lake level.

Current from the river channel and dam operation creates chronically unreliable ice near the channel and dam.

Ice thickness reference (new, clear ice)

State DNR minimum guidance. It takes at least four days of below-freezing temperatures to form ice that supports a person, and white, layered, or refrozen ice is roughly half as strong: the DNR advises doubling these numbers for it.

Activity	DNR minimum
Stay offNew clear ice below 4 inches does not support a person	Under 4 in
On foot (walking, ice fishing)New, clear ice minimum per Minnesota DNR	4 in or more
Snowmobile or small ATV	5 to 7 in
Side-by-side or full-size ATV	7 to 8 in
Small car or SUVDriving on ice is never recommended	9 to 10 in
Medium SUV or small truck	11 to 12 in
Medium truck	13 in or more

Sources: Minnesota DNR: Ice safety guidelines · Wisconsin DNR: Ice safety

Read this before you go out · draft, pending review (G3)

No ice is ever one hundred percent safe. This page is an educational reference built from public data and state DNR guidance. It is not a measurement of the ice on this lake, and it is not a statement that any ice will hold you.

Ice thickness varies across a single lake and can change overnight. Springs, current, snow load, slush, and refrozen cracks all produce weak ice that no model or nearby sensor can see.

Check the ice yourself, continuously: drill or spud test holes as you go, starting at shore. Carry ice picks, a throw rope, and a flotation aid. Never go out alone, and never drive out early or late season. When in doubt, stay off.

Sportsman Authority provides this reference as-is, without warranty. Decisions on the ice are yours alone.

Data sources

USGS USGS-05365500 (Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls (immediately below the Wissota dam))US Geological Survey
NWS station KEAU observationsNational Weather Service
Daily temperatures for the freeze model: KEAU via NOAA Regional Climate CentersNOAA Regional Climate Centers
Minnesota DNR: Ice safety guidelinesState agency
Wisconsin DNR: Ice safetyState agency

Data retrieved Jul 19, 2026, 12:16 PM CDT. Readings refresh throughout the day; USGS values may be provisional and subject to revision.

How the model works

Full method, coverage tiers, and every formula on the Ice & Water Report methodology page. Ice guides and gear research live in the ice fishing hub.