Goose Lake
Wildlife Management Area
Iowa Department of
Natural Resources
About Goose Lake
The area now called Goose Lake was once part of a 108,000
acre glacial lake called Lake Calvin (named after Iowa’s first director
of the State Geologic Survey).
Some 150,000 years ago, glacial ice covered areas now
occupied by Clinton, Davenport, Muscatine and Ft. Madison. As the ice
moved across the present day Mississippi River Valley, the river was
displaced westward along the Maquoketa River Valley from Green Island.
This diversion from Green Island to Ft. Madison through the Goose Lake
Valley occurred twice, once during the Illinoian glacial stage and next
during the Iowa/Taywell ice lobe of the Wisconsin glacial stage. Long
after the ice receded and erosion of the landscape began again, Lake
Calvin was drained by a small tributary of the Mississippi. The life span
of the lake is not known exactly, but different geologists speculate it
may have been in existence for as little as 10,000 or as many as 120,000
years. Presently, Goose Lake serves as a high point in the surrounding
topography where water flows north on one side of Goose Lake and south on
another. Water flowing north eventually reaches the Maquoketa River and
water flowing south goes to the Wapsipinicon River.
Today the Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area covers 886
acres of Clinton County, one mile west of the city of Goose Lake along
Highway 136. The 886 acres consist of 520 acres of wetlands and 366 acres
of upland habitat. The area has a remarkable natural history and has
historically been used by waterfowl in their migration. Excellent food and
cover are provided for waterfowl, wading birds, upland game and predators.
Recreation Opportunities
Outdoor recreational opportunities at Goose Lake include
hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing,
wildlife observation and outdoor classroom instruction. There are two
interconnected pools north of Highway 136 which total 370 acres.
A water control structure built on the south boundary of
the area in early 1989 provides an additional 150 acres of wetland. These
wetland areas provide good waterfowl hunting as well as the trapping of
furbearers including muskrat, mink, beaver and raccoon.
Pheasants, quail, partridge, rabbit, squirrel and deer are
also present on the 176 upland acres at Goose Lake. Fish populations are
dependent on water levels and rainfall. Bullhead and carp are common when
water levels are adequate. An abandoned railroad bed dissects the two
northern pools providing foot access to adjacent marshes and open water.
There are five parking lots at Goose Lake and primitive camping is
allowed.
The Future of Goose Lake
Containing 520 acres of wetland, Goose Lake is an area
with excellent food and cover to waterfowl and furbearers, as well as many
other wetland species. Management is aimed ate these wetland species and
water levels are actively managed when sufficient rainfall allows. A
balance between open water and vegetation (called a
"hemi-marsh") is maintained for optimum feeding, production, and
nesting habitat. Further water level management is planned for the
southern segment. A large watershed diversion project would establish
reliable water levels on the area when completed. Feasibility studies and
land acquisition investigations are underway. Completion could result in
an additional 200 acres of marsh.
What’s New At Goose Lake
One of the newest additions to Goose Lake is the trumpeter
swan. In 1883 the last wild trumpeter swan was seen in Iowa. Since then
the trumpeter swan has been all but extinct in Iowa, until recently.
At a conference in November of 1994 the idea to
reintroduce trumpeter swans back to the area was hatched by Mark Roberts.
Soon, fundraising began and by March of 1995 the county had its first
breeding pair of swans. The swans were released at the farm of Bob Boock
just North of Wheatland. Since then the reintroduction of trumpeter swans
has come a long way and now the county has many nesting pairs. The first
release of trumpeter swans back into the Iowa wilderness happened on April
9, 1998 at Goose Lake. Recently, the county has released more trumpeters
into the Goose Lake area. That happened on April 6, 2000.
 The trumpeter swan is a very distinct bird. It is North
America’s largest water fowl with a wingspan up to 7 feet and a height
of 4 feet. The trumpeter weighs between 20lbs to 30lbs with all white
plumage. This swan has a massive black bill and a very distinguishing
trumpeting call. The trumpeter swans perfect habitat would be a shallow
wetland between 1-3 feet deep. This wetland would have to include a mix of
emergent and submergent vegetation, which would serve as a food and
shelter source. To stay healthy adult trumpeters will consume plants such
as duckweed, arrowhead, and wild rice. Insects and other smaller
invertebrates are often consumed by the young cygnets to help them survive
the first few weeks of their young lives. After six weeks the cygnets
switch over to an all-vegetable diet.
One interesting thing about the trumpeter is that these
birds mate for life. Bonds may begin to form between two swans as soon as
twenty months after birth. Couples may start nesting at thirty-three
months while some choose not to nest until they are four to six years old.
Nests of the trumpeters are often very large, some reaching widths of
sixth feet. Often times these awesome birds will build their nests in the
middle of water so small mammals won’t terrorize their eggs when they
lay them in May. During the month of May the pen (mother trumpeter) will
lay eggs every 36 hours until she has laid five to nine eggs. This is
called a clutch. Once all the eggs are laid and the clutch is complete the
pen will sit on the nest and incubate the eggs. After 31 days the eggs
should hatch and reveal their precious treasure, cygnets!
 When the cygnets reach 15 weeks of age they begin to fly.
After much practice the cygnets will migrate south for the winter and back
north for the summer with their parents. Soon after the summer migration
the parents drive the cygnets away. Now they are on their own to find a
mate and start their own family.
Click
to large version of Goose Lake Map
Wildlife Species Listing
Mammals
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White-tailed Deer
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Fox Squirrel
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Raccoon
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Opossum
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Cottontail Rabbit
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Pocket Gopher
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Long-tailed Weasel
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13 lined Ground Squirrel
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Striped Skunk
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Spotted Skunk
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Short-tail Shrew
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Red Fox
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Coyote
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Muskrat
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Woodchuck
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Mink
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Norway Rat
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Mole
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Beaver
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Little Brown Bat
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Badger
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Meadow Vole
Birds
Reptiles and Amphibians
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Eastern Garter Snake
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Northern Water Snake
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Eastern Tiger Salamander
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Spiny Softshell Turtle
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Common Snapping Turtle
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Prairie Ringneck Snake
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Western Painted Turtle
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Eastern Gray Tree Frog
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Green Frog
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Leopard Frog
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American Toad
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Bullsnake
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Fox Snake
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Bullfrog
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Black Rat Snake
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Smooth Softshell Turtle
For More Information Contact:
DNR Unit Headquarters
Bob Sheets, Wildlife Biologist
Courthouse—Maquoketa, Iowa 52060
(319) 652-3132
Or
Clinton County Conservation Board
P.O. Box 68
Grand Mound, IA 52751
(319) 847-7202
Page Designed by Danny
Keegan, Central High School
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