Over 200 people from Whitefish, Big and Little LCO, Grindstone, and the Tribe attended the December 15, 2025, DNR public hearing on lake water levels. Attendees overwhelmingly supported the Whitefish Lake Association petition to the DNR to restore the historic water level setting as measured at the gauge at the Billy Boy Dam.

Sawyer County had managed water levels at this gauge from the early 1970s through 2020 that resulted in higher and more consistent water levels that we became used to.

In May 2021, the DNR ordered Sawyer County to open gates on the dam to comply with a long lost 1955 order that required significantly lower water levels. Sawyer County complied, and water levels were drastically reduced. The Whitefish Lake Association petition was the result of that order.

Following input from all parties, the DNR is now proposing that Sawyer County use a gauge located on the Big LCO side of the Thoroughfare Bridge to manage the lakes for higher water levels. The DNR will issue a final decision after the public comment period ends on December 25, 2025.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend this public hearing. The overwhelming turnout clearly demonstrated how much this issue matters to the broader community. Your engagement and respectful input were important in helping the DNR understand the widespread support for restoring higher and more consistent lake levels.

If lake levels remain low after this change, the associations and the Tribe will direct the DNR to act on the Whitefish Lake Association’s amended petition which seeks an even higher water level.

COLA will keep everyone updated on developments.

Read the Sawyer County Record in-depth coverage of the public hearing here.