Lake Tomahawk Local Area Information
Spring
Lake Tomahawk is a very special area to be in all seasons of the year. “The Queen of The North Woods Lakes”, with its clear crystal waters and abundant fishing opportunities comes alive each spring with the fishing opener. Join the excitement of being the first to fish on open water as winter finally recedes. The river and waters are full of returning waterfowl, the spring flowers make their long-awaited appearance. The shops offer early previews of new merchandise for the busy summer tourist season. Our many retired “Snowbirds” return to enjoy the best of our seasons.
Summer
In 1961 , Lake Tomahawk Town Chairman, Ray Sloan, wanted to give summer tourists something other than great fishing, swimming and the beautiful Northwoods scenery. He consequently invited other town teams to challenge the Lake Tomahawk Team to snowshoe baseball games during the summer months in Northern Wisconsin. This year marks the 46th year of play and the town is known as the Snowshoe Baseball Capital. Games are played at 7:30 every Monday evening for seven weeks during the summer. This year play begins on June 25th, continuing through August 20th with an additional game scheduled for the 4th of July holiday. There is no admission charge. A concession stand is sponsored on the grounds by local groups such as the Lions, Legion and Church Guild. Food is served beginning at 5:00 p.m. for the convenience of visitors and residents. Every Monday a crowd close to 300 enjoys this family entertainment. See our calendar of events for game dates
Summer offers fishing adventures in the true Wisconsin tradition. With dawn to dusk fishing, there is constant excitement and action. Our beautiful sand beaches are full of laughing children and picnicking families. With unparalleled area campgrounds, you can spend your entire vacation on the lake or around a campfire.
It is a perfect time to explore the vast waterways of the Rainbow Flowage. Accessing both the upper and lower Wisconsin River, its’ inlets and islands offer exceptional wildlife viewing. With a camera or binoculars, whole days can be spent searching “around the next bend”. The larger flowage, the new fishing pier, and the banks of the Wisconsin River make for fast-paced fishing action of all kinds.
Whether biking on our trails or scenic roads, we have miles of varying terrain for that great work-out or for a family afternoon bike ride.
Forth of July is marked by a lively afternoon parade, followed by food, beverages, and music at Snowshoe Park. Evening offers Snowshoe baseball, a unique blend of great sport and entertainment. People come from miles around to enjoy the fireworks over the lake. The Lake Tomahawk Volunteer Fire Department is trained to showcase a safe, yet still grand fireworks display to close out the evening.
Autumn
The Lake Tomahawk Lioness Club celebrate fall by sponsoring the Lake Tomahawk Fall Festival. Featuring a large array of stands of fall produce, there is also food, crafts, art, and antiques. A fine way to enjoy the crisp autumn air and gorgeous fall colors!
This weekend is normally the opener for fall archery season, a good time of the year for whitetail enthusiasts. Some of the nicest and biggest bucks are taken now, so make sure you bow hunters make your way up to Lake Tomahawk and get those stands ready for the harvest. Check in at the local sport shops in Lake Tomahawk for advice on the latest techniques and equipment to take those elusive whitetails. For those who do bag that big buck, the popular Lake Tomahawk Meat Market will expertly assist you with the processing of your trophy venison. Renowned for its’ beef jerky and brats, the Lake Tomahawk Meat Market is constantly busy with loyal customers who enjoy the experience of a real old-fashioned butcher shop. Don’t forget Lake Tomahawk Taxidermy for mounting that once in a lifetime buck.
This is also the time of year that Lake Tomahawk is known for some of its largest muskies being caught. The Hellraiser Tackle Company in Lake Tomahawk can help muskie fisherman load up on their arsenal of tackle needed for that successful fishing excursion for the “big one”.
Very good grouse populations in the past two years have made for excellent grouse hunting. There is nothing like taking these winged warriors in the beautiful fall colors. With so much available land , you can pick the most productive areas to make your hunting successful. Hunting grouse in the American Legion State Forest is an unforgettable experience for those sportsman and sportswomen that love skeet or trap.
For those gun hunters, the annual deer hunt is what northern Wisconsin is all about. The traditional hunting camp and all that encompasses makes memories that will last a life-time. The past few years have been good years, and the up coming forecast is all-positive for those hunters that love their venison.
Hunters don’t forget the Lake Tomahawk Lions Hunter’s Breakfast at the Raymond F. Sloan Community Building. Always held on Sunday morning of the first weekend of the deer season, you won’t want to miss this "all you can eat" breakfast. They start serving at 5:00 a.m.; plenty of time to get to the deer stand!
Winter
Winter brings something special to Lake Tomahawk and the surrounding area. The atmosphere in the woods changes and everything has a magical feeling as the Birch and Pine rest under a blanket of winter snow. This is the time for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, bringing that camera along for those unforgettable pictures. Some of the best state trail systems are right at our doorsteps for cross-country skiing. McNaughton, Raven, and Madeline Ski Trails offer miles of groomed trails for both beginners and experts.
Snowmobile enthusiasts can join the local-area Lake Tomahawk Sno-Fleas. More information about this energetic group of snow mobiler's can be found HERE.
The lakes become communities onto themselves, with young and old fishing in ice shanties, skating, and socializing. The snowmobile trails hum with riders exploring the wide expanses of the northwoods on our superb trail systems.
Relaxing in a local eatery or curled up in front of a fire, our hospitality lasts all year long
Demographics
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km²), of which, 34.3 square miles (88.9 km²) of it is land and 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) of it (12.50%) is water.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,160 people, 475 households, and 317 families residing in the town. The population density was 33.8 people per square mile (13.1/km²). There were 1,052 housing units at an average density of 30.7/sq mi (11.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.97% White, 4.40% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 475 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.60.
In the town the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 123.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,065, and the median income for a family was $41,131. Males had a median income of $30,268 versus $20,870 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,177. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.