Kangaroo Lake - Nature's Finest
A large, spring fed lake, Kangaroo Lake is approximately 12 feet deep and 1.2 acres in size. Kangaroo Lake is known for its good fishing for Northern Pike, Pan fish, Large Mouth Bass and Walleye.
The shoreline is a picturesque spot for kayaking, bird watching or hiking. Recreational boaters will enjoy the quiet lake, and a public swimming area is found on the west shore of the lake.
Marshes, lowland forests and rocky outcrops surround the lake and are home to wire sedge, bulrushes, and white and yellow water lilies, and in the spring a colorful display of wildflowers occupies the dolomite plateau west of the lake.
The Nature Conservancy and the Door County Land Trust own Kangaroo Lake and the lake and areas around the lake were designated The Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area in 2002. The area has the largest breeding population of the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in the world. A number of other rare and endangered species are present including the state and federally threatened dwarf lake iris, the dorcas copper butterfly, bald eagle, osprey, and Caspian tern. The marsh also provides important breeding and migratory habitat for black terns, sandhill cranes, and many species of waterfowl.
In the late 1800's a causeway was built to separate Kangaroo Lake into two distance sections; at the south end a highly developed area amid the northern end, which has almost completely escaped development due to the extensive wetlands.
The lake is located in the towns of Jacksonport and Baileys Harbor. The natural, rustic nature of the lake combined with the adjoining sanctuary and easy access to northern Door County or Sturgeon Bay are why so many choose a year-round or seasonal home on Kangaroo Lake.
"I'd like to see a file where an eagle swoops down and pulls a fish out of the lake, and then maybe he's flying along, low to the ground, and the fish pulls a worm out of the ground. Now that's a documentary!" --Jack Handy. I don't know about the fish pulling a worm out of the ground, but you may very well see an eagle swooping over Kangaroo Lake and coming up with a fish!
