Overview of Bone Lake
Bone Lake, located in Georgetown and Bone Lake Townships, Polk County, Wisconsin, is a 1,781-acre lake with 12.5 miles of shoreline and more than 500 private lots.
The mean depth is 20 feet, with a maximum depth of 43 feet.
Fishing
Bone Lake is a quality Wisconsin fishery with a musky minimum length limit of 50 inches.
Other species present include:
Crappie
Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth bass
Northern pike
Smallmouth bass have recently been stocked.
Public Access
Public boat launches are located at the north and south ends of the lake.
The Luck Lions Club manages Bone Lake Point Park at the north end with:
A public boat landing
Fishing pier
Picnic pavilion
Toilets
Historical Bone Lake
Onondogacona, the beautiful Indian name for Bone Lake, means LAKE OF THE SMALL PINES.
Carbon dating of artifacts shows the first known settlers were Indians who lived on Indian Point circa 900 A.D.
These Indians were the mound builders. Bone, pottery, and beads made from shells have been found in the remains of their campsites.
The mounds built by these people are very ancient — they outdate the traditions of the Indians who were here when the country was discovered.
The early Indians were physically large and quite advanced. They possessed arts akin to the Aztecs. Whether they were driven away, or what became of them, will possibly never be known.
Photo: John Doe
French Traders & Fort Onondogacona
The ruins of what was believed to have once been a trading post and fort — and perhaps a missionary center established by French traders — is located at the south end of Bone Lake.
The post remains were believed to have been part of a chain extending from Sault Ste. Marie to DeSoto, a town 50 miles south of La Crosse.
French posts had been established in Northern Wisconsin as early as 1700, owing allegiance to Louis XIV. Jesuits followed the fur traders to do missionary work among the Indians. The trappers were known as “Courers-de-boie” or Runners of the Woods.
What the Remains Show
The main post was a building 24 × 36 feet. A break on one side indicated a door.
Nearby were the remains of six cabins.
Two parallel rows of stones indicated the altar where the Courers-de-boie worshipped
Trade & Ojibwe Life
Ginseng
Maple syrup
Fur
They traded these items for goods produced by the white man.
Eating, singing, and dancing occupied much of their time for days or weeks. The sound of dances carried into the evening air.
A large settlement of Ojibwa lived in teepees or hogans on Indian Point until the 1700s.
Photo: John Doe
Logging Era
The land around Bone Lake once held rich virgin white pine.
The Ward Logging Company cut timber in the winter of 1844–1845.
They tried floating logs down Fox Creek to the Apple River and onward to the St. Croix, but winds caused many to waterlog.
Later, in the 1890s, attempts were made to retrieve these logs for sawmills.
Photo: John Doe
Early Settlement & Industry
In 1853, the state sold 12,000 acres for 85 cents per acre. Settlers had to remove massive stumps.
Some logs measured four to five feet in diameter.
A sawmill once stood where Bone Lake Park is today.
Abe Johnson operated another mill and a stock farm. Many cattle froze during the severe winter of 1886–1887.
Calderwood Lodge
Calderwood Lodge, on the eastern shore, was built in 1923 by Charles Calder and his sons.
Father Phillip Gordon, the only Indian priest in the region, held Sunday Mass on the west porch.
Guests arrived by train and were transported from the Luck Depot.
Stories mention possible visits by Al Capone, though none are confirmed.