Bass Lake

News & Notes

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Spring must be getting here finally, the ice went out about 4:00 pm yesterday April 17th.

A storm went through late yesterday with a lot of rain but there wasn't much wind so i don't think there was any damage in the immediate area.

04/18/2026

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Bass Lake Improvement Association

April 10, 2026

Dear Bass Lake Property Owners,

We are writing today to update you on activities related to controlling the Eurasian Water Milfoil in the lake and to ask that you pay your 2026 Bass Lake Improvement Association (BLIA) membership dues, as well as contribute funds toward the milfoil management.

There was a lot of activity on the lake in 2025 to get control of the milfoil. In early summer, the Association successfully built and installed a barrier to allow for chemical treatment of a large patch of milfoil by the boat landing. Chemical treatment was also applied to the northwest bay. The treatments were very successful according to a survey done in the fall. Diver Assisted Surface Harvesting (DASH) was done in areas where chemical treatment wasn’t applied and also showed that the amount of milfoil was substantially reduced. This summer, early to mid-June 2026, there will be one day of diver harvesting to remove some small patches of milfoil that remain at a cost of $3,101.00.

Along with Onterra, LLC, the Association applied for a DNR grant to develop an Aquatic Management Plan for the future. The management plan is required in order to apply for grants and permits with the DNR. The grant was approved so we will be able to plan for managing the milfoil in 2027 and beyond, the Association’s portion of the cost is $4,915.35

Milfoil Management Donation:

The Association is continuing to ask for donations above and beyond member dues in order to raise the funds needed to combat the milfoil. Last year, two-thirds of all property owners on the lake donated to the milfoil management. A sincere thank you goes out to those who donated! Ideally, we need everyone on the lake to donate toward the milfoil management because controlling the milfoil benefits the value of all properties on the lake.

We made significant progress on controlling the milfoil in 2025. However, the need for monitoring, management and treatment of the milfoil will continue and unfortunately the ability to receive grants will become harder. Therefore, the need to raise funds for the milfoil management will continue. We are asking every property owner to contribute a minimum of $300/year or any amount so that we can continue to manage the presence of milfoil in our lake.

BLIA Membership dues

Please pay your annual $20 BLIA membership dues by 5/1/26. Details on where to send your payment are at the end of this letter.
Being a member of BLIA is a way to be informed about important issues affecting our lake and have a say in decisions related to those issues. It is also a great way to get to know other Bass Lake residents. Encourage your neighbors to join BLIA if they are not yet members!
The Association meets only two times per year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall. There is no pressure to join the board or be on a committee, you can simply attend the meetings to stay informed and to offer your input. The Association is not linked to the DNR or any other state or federal agencies.
Membership dues support important activities to maintain and improve the health and safety of Bass Lake, support the surrounding community, and provide fun activities for Bass Lake residents.

Mark your Calendars for the Spring Meeting:

The Spring Meeting of the BLIA will be held on Saturday, May 23 at 9:00 am at the Doty Town Hall, 14899 Co Rd T, Mountain, WI 54149

Payment Information: Both the $20 membership dues and the milfoil donation can be sent to the address below. Checks can be made out to “BLIA”.

Send to:
BLIA
c/o Amy Mager
510 Walton Place Madison, WI 53704
(payments can also be made in person at the Spring Meeting)
 
Looking forward to a fun summer on beautiful Bass Lake!   Sincerely,
BLIA Board
Amy Mager, Secretary/Treasurer 
04/10/2026

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There is great news about the success of the DASH (Diver_Assisted Suction Harvesting) operation. The divers went to the first 3 locations that they were hoping to get done in the 2 days and found very little milfoil so they were done under a day. After those locations they contacted me and asked where they should go next. I directed them to the northeast spot by Schemachers and Kostermans where they did find milfoil. That area was cleared at the end of the first day and finished the second morning. Continuing to search they found quite a bit in the area between DeNoble and Ellingson's in the northwest bay area where 3 1/2 bags were filled. The north shoreline by Hamann's was searched and nothing was found there also. They didn't really harvest much milfoil which is good that it's not there. I canoed around about half of the lake and didn't see any milfoil growing like I'd seen in the past but did find 10 pieces floating so it's still out there. Onterra told me that they have seen where the herbicide will move and kill outside of the treated area so it's not unexpected. A point intercept survey (raking the bottome for weeds) was done on July 21st which was after the treatment and before the DASH and only 1 sample contained milfoil which is really great. That sample was found in 15' of water in the northeast corner where the dive team harvested.

The next step is that Onterra will come back in September and do another survey to see if they find any plants. That information will be used to determine our plan for next year.

The Eurasion milfoil isn't gone out of the lake and won't ever be completely gone but we've made some great progress to control it. Please keep removing any floating weeds. If you see plants growing and can't get to them to dig them out please let me know where they are.

Thanks to everyone that donated.
08/04/2025

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