Spring 2026
Issue 46
February 2026: Aurora borealis over Smoke Lake (Image credit: Drew Zelle)
From Your Association President
Drew Zelle | dmzelle48@gmail.com | 920-209-0564
Greetings and happy spring (almost). The lakes are still frozen but the snowmobile trails and cross-country ski trails are closed. Soon the lake will open up and it will be spring!
We had a successful winter season with all three aeration systems up and running. A big thanks to all who helped out, especially Jim Lamers and Mike Van Handel. We will need help for fencing removal so look for an email or a facebook post in the coming weeks.
Thanks for returning your dues notice in a timely manner. I appreciate all who are volunteering to support our PCLA activities. We’ll be in touch! I really appreciate your support.
Annual Meeting
Our Annual Members Meeting will be held Saturday June 20th at 9 am at the Townsend town hall. Look for the agenda and more details as that date gets closer - we’ll send out an email and you can also check the website.
This year the focus of the PCLA will be on several activities:
Clean Boats Clean Waters
CBCW is an ongoing PCLA program which supports training and inspectors at the boat landing on key weekends to keep aquatic invasive species out of the lake. Please support our efforts by joining our inspector team ($15/hour!) and by ensuring that your boats and trailers and live wells— and those of your guests — are clean and weed free when you take them in and out of the lake. Currently we are AIS free with the exception of Purple Loosestrife and Rusty Crayfish. We received a grant from the WDNR to support inspector costs. Want to know more — see our CBCW program page. Want to be an inspector? Contact us at BoardPCLA@gmail.com.
Annual Picnic July 18th
The PCLA picnic is our only fundraising event this year. Please come out, meet your neighbors, enjoy food and prizes, and support your PCLA! There is lots to do and we always welcome volunteers for this event , so if you are interested in helping out, let myself or one of the board members know. Prize baskets are always a big hit and any donations are welcome. Please contact Michelle Zelle michellezelle67@gmail.com if you have any donations.
Cash Raffle. After our test of local ticket distribution last year, this year we are back to the old tried and true method of mailing tickets with your PCLA annual dues request. Please contact us if you need more!
What do we raise funds for? Primarily for two things: Running and maintaining the aeration systems and a rainy-day fund for when we do get some type of aquatic invasive species.
Water Quality Monitoring
We will continue to monitor the health of lakes through monthly water quality monitoring and reporting it to the WDNR. More on this program on our CLMN page.
Northern Lights
We have been blessed in the past few months with regular northern lights events. This winter I have been out several times to observe them and they are spectacular. The newsletter image is a photo from Smoke Lake looking north; it is beautiful but does not do the event justice. If you get a chance this spring and summer, please take a look at them. Also, if you have an outside light, consider putting it on a motion sensor. Our dark skies are beautiful. There is even an app, called Aurora, that will alert you when to go outside and look.
Thanks to all who have helped the association this past year. We cannot do this without volunteers and your help is needed and appreciated.
See you on the lake!
-Drew
More Volunteer Opportunities
Contact us at BoardPCLA@gmail.com for more information and to volunteer.
CBCW Inspector Coordinator. We are seeking a lake resident to assist the CBCW program as an inspector coordinator. This role involves helping to recruit, manage, and schedule boat inspectors, and working with the CBCW program coordinator and PCLA treasurer to monitor hours and payments. The position runs from early May to September, and generally requires about a 20-hour commitment over the course of the summer.
Aerator Pole and Line Removal. We are seeking assistance removing the aerator poles and lines and moving equipment back to the sheds. This is a weekend event in April/May, as soon as the lake ice melts.
Upcoming Events: Spring and Summer 2026
April/May TBD: Aerator Pole and Line Remova'l
June 20: Annual Members Meeting, 9 am at the Townsend town hall.
June 20: PCLA Boat Poker Run, 5pm-?, starts at Oughton Park. Info coming to website in April/May.
July 19: Annual PCLA Picnic, 3-7 pm, Oughton Park
Flora and Fauna
For those of us who overwinter here on the lakes, one of the midwinter joys is hearing the swans return. This year, that familiar honking overhead came just in time for Valentine’s Day. And, not a month later, the unmistakable raspy call of sandhill cranes is back. Eagles circle over the lake watching the ice fishing and snatching up Northern left on the ice.
Northern on Ice, February 2026. If you look closely you can see holes from eagle talons. One was circling overhead when I took this picture (quickly). (Image Credit: Laure Haak)
The lake, until a week ago a haven for ice fishing tents and trucks, is puddly, the roads are…. well, going between slick ice to slush to mud. Townsend put road weight limits in place on 6 March; please contact the Town secretary for more information.
Ferns emerging from the ice, March 2026. (Image Credit: Laure Haak)
It’s always surprising to see green leaves poke out of the ice, ready to launch into another season of capturing the sun. Ferns, clover, black-eyed susan, all hiding under the ice waiting for their time in the sun. Send along pictures of your lakeshore and the returning plants and animals!
