Turtle River Chain of Lakes

   The Turtle River Chain is best understood as a connected series of small lakes and wetlands along the Turtle River between its headwaters at South Turtle Lake near Winchester and its confluence with the Flambeau River in the Turtle‑Flambeau Flowage. Local watershed and education materials describe 14 main lakes in the chain upstream of the 13,000‑plus‑acre Turtle‑Flambeau Flowage, forming a long, narrow corridor of water that winds south and west through largely undeveloped forest and wetland. Rather than a compact, boat‑everywhere “resort chain,” this is a more linear, river‑style system where navigation between segments may involve shallow stretches, riffles, or portages depending on water levels, and where paddling is often a better fit than large powerboats. On the water, the Turtle River Chain offers a mix of quiet paddling, small‑lake fishing, and moving‑water habitat. The river segment in Iron County alone runs roughly 27 miles from Cedar Lake into the Turtle‑Flambeau Flowage, with a mix of slow meanders, wetlands, and intermittent Class II–III rapids that sometimes require portage at spots like Shay’s Dam. The small lakes and flowage pockets along the chain support typical Northwoods species—walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, panfish, and occasional muskies—and recent outreach has focused on monitoring water quality, managing invasive species, and understanding the health of the fishery along this connected corridor. For many users, the appeal lies less in big‑water cruising and more in linking short lake hops and river reaches into half‑day or multi‑day paddle trips through a relatively undeveloped watershed. The broader setting is distinctly wild. Large wetlands near the junction of the Turtle and Manitowish Rivers and around the Turtle‑Flambeau Flowage create a 20,000‑plus‑acre mosaic of water, marsh, and forest that hosts diverse plants and wildlife and remains largely free of dense shoreline development. Conservation partners—including the North Lakeland Discovery Center and county and state agencies—have used grants and volunteer programs to monitor water quality, control invasive plants, and promote low‑impact recreation throughout the Turtle River corridor. For your database, this chain stands out as a more linear, paddle‑oriented river chain than the classic resort lake groups, tying together multiple small basins into one long, scenic route toward the Turtle‑Flambeau Flowage.