Sweeney Pond Wildlife Area
Sweeney Pond Wildlife Area is a 281-acre (40 owned, 241 easements) property in Barron County consisting of flowage, marsh, prairie and some upland forest.
Find it by going west of Barron on Highway 8 for 4 miles. Turn south on 11th Street and go 1/2 mile to 13th Avenue and head west 3/4 mile. The property is south of the road.
In this area, there is access to float through the flowage and hunt, trap, or view wildlife. Also, visitors can see wild rice growing in this flowage that’s available for harvest. On the east side of the flowage, explore a prairie and some upland forest where pheasant, turkey, deer and much more are found.
Management Objectives
A dam was built to create the flowage in the 1960s. The town road is both the dam and emergency spillway. Most of the water goes through a water control structure that goes under the road, except during very high water in the spring. The water level is lowered in early summer to promote the growth of wild rice. The area provides good waterfowl habitat and is occasionally used by trumpeter swans for nesting.
There are plans to replace the current water control structure and culvert with a system that has a larger capacity. This will enable high water events to be handled better and allow for the water level to be controlled to promote wild rice and wildlife habitat.
For more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state, visit the property planning page.
Recreation
The Sweeney Pond Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Birding
- Boating (non-motorized)
- Canoeing
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Hiking (no designated trail)
- Hunting (noted for waterfowl, deer, pheasant and turkey)
- Kayaking
- Trapping (noted for beavers, muskrats and otters)
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wild rice harvesting
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - none.
- Parking lot - none.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - none.
Maps
Download [PDF] a map of this property.
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
