Learn & Explore

About Hancock Lake

Located in Oneida County and the Town of Woodboro, Hancock Lake is a 259 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Learn more at the Wisconsin DNR's webpage about Hancock Lake. You can also access historical data regarding the lake's water quality.

A public boat landing gives lake access to visitors. There is a local boating ordinance in effect for the "slow-no-wake" section of the lake.

Hancock Lake has a variety of wildlife that visit and make the lake their home, including fish, loons, cranes, swans, turtles, frogs, deer, porcupines, racoons, rabbits, turkeys, and bears. Citizen-based monitoring allows for contributing to the protection of these natural resources.

Like many area lakes, we are also combating aquatic invasive species: Eurasian Water Milfoil, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Rusty Crayfish, and Banded Mystery Snail.

We encourage all lake visitors to be on the lookout for wetland invasive species and regulated aquatic invasive plants.

Lake History

Hancock Lake was formed for the purpose of being a boomage lake in early 1900s. The cutting of the big timber was in full swing and a lake was needed to store the logs.

A spur track was run in on the west shore. A log hoist run by Jim Williams loaded the logs from the lake onto rail cars headed for various mills in the area.

When Jim Williams saw the lake for the first time, there were logs from shore to shore. You could walk from one end to the other and not get wet.

Once the logging was complete, the lands around the lake were treeless and no longer a value to the timber companies. The properties began to sell, bringing a new era to the lake.

Fishermen leaving Camp Marion (circa 1918)
View looking from the northwest shoreline of Hancock Lake at the big island. The little house in view is Camp Marion, a place owned by L. McCormick. This is the treeless view left by the cutting of the big timber (circa 1918).
View of the north shore of Hancock Lake and a great boat (circa 1918).
Jim Williams running the log hoist on Hancock Lake (circa early 1900).
The first Hancock Lake Dam was built in the early 1900s to help form a boomage lake. This was done to store the logs until they were put on rail cars and taken to the mills.
Hancock Lake Resort was built by Dombrowski in the 1920s (circa 1930s). Later sold to Robert and Bridget Zeromski in the 1960s.

Oral History of Hancock Lake

Remembrances.pdf

Lake and area maps

pdf hancock lake 2015.pdf

Hancock Lake areal view with property lines and house numbers

Hancock Lake.pdf

Overview of Hancock Lake

ATV Trails.pdf

Local ATV Trails

CassianWoodboroBlock.pdf

Oneida County Trail Map - Woodboro

Lake Survey Map 1939 Hancock Lake.pdf

Historical Survey Map (1939)

WI_Heafford Junction_503294_1966_62500_geo.pdf

Historical Topographical Map (1966)