Diamond Lake

State Natural Area (No. 339)

Location: Taylor County. T30N-R2W, Section 6. T30-R3W, Section 1. 252 acres.

Access: From the intersection of State Highways 64 and 13 in Medford, go west on Highway 64 19.5 miles, then south on County Highway F 0.9 mile, then east on Diamond Drive 0.75 mile, then north on Lake Drive to the lake.

Description: Diamond Lake has a small county park facility on the west side while the rest of the lake is wild and features a diverse and productive fish population. The 48-acre soft water, drainage lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and is located on Diamond Creek, a feeder to McKenzie Creek. Associated wetlands of the lake include open bog, marsh, and lowland swamp conifers and the lake contains a diversity of aquatic plants, which include cat-tails, pickerel weed, yellow and white water-lily, water-shield, and coon's-tail. Uplands surrounding the lake consist of mixed hardwoods and pasture. The lake contains a diverse game fish community consisting of walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, and pumpkinseed. Non-game fish species include black bullhead, brook lamprey, johnny darter, common shiner, and white sucker. Walleye spawning habitat is found both in the lake and up and downstream in Diamond Creek. While some walleye have been stocked in the past, the largemouth bass and northern pike consist of naturally reproducing populations. Diamond Lake's natural undisturbed shoreline provides a unique and uninterrupted corridor for many shoreline edge species and many animals including muskrat, mink, weasel, and otter use the area. Diamond Lake is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.