City News

*Mayor’s Corner – January*

Posted on by City Admin

What’s Happening in Shell Lake!!

Happy New Year! As we bid farewell to the past year, and welcome a new one, I want to express my
deepest gratitude for the privilege of serving our great city.


In the past year, we have achieved remarkable progress with community initiatives, and economic
developments with the addition of a couple new shops on main street, improvements on some of the
buildings, and making sure that we continue to improve/maintain what we have.


These successes are a testament to our community’s resilience, determination, and collaborative spirit.
As we look to the future, I’m excited to build on our momentum and tackle the challenges ahead. My
commitment to you remains unwavering; to ensure our city remains vibrant, inclusive and a thriving
place for everyone.


Kind of fun fact; about 81% of people will make a New Year’s Resolution, but only about 8% will keep to
their resolution until the end of the year. The number one resolution toping the polls at 45% is to save
more money, beating “exercising more” by a full 8%! What ever your resolution may be, hopefully you
can keep it….try and prove the 8% wrong!!


You will most likely be hearing about a new community activity that is being planned for the City of Shell
Lake. There are a number of folks that will be promoting lake activities, including some hockey games
and ice skating on the lake, with ponds being made by flooding the surface of the lake to make for a
smooth playing surface. We will be able to have lights for the evening activities at the beach, and the
lake itself.


On February 15th, we will actually be having WINTER FEST, something new and fun being held right here
in Shell Lake. We will be serving hotdogs, hot apple cider, hot chocolate, s’mores and roasted
marshmallows, a fun WINTER ACTIVITY for all. We will even have a little fishing hole that will be
equipped with all the necessities for ice fishing. There will be camp fires on the beach, and we will light
the big fireplace in the Beach House so we can use it as a warming house. This will be a great way to
bring together our neighbors, and gather at the Beach House to enjoy the Bold North of Wisconsin. All
of this will be free of charge to everyone! Winter Fest hours will be from 4-9PM. Details are still being
worked on with this winter event, so stay tuned as we roll this out to the public. Something fun and
exciting to look forward to during the cold days ahead!


I would be amiss if I did not speak to the safety of being on the frozen lake for various sporting activities.
People from all over come to use Shell Lake for ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and
snowshoeing. Frozen lakes are never 100% safe, there is always a risk going on a body of frozen water.
The following guidelines are recommended by the DNR for when it is safe (ish) to be on the lake during
the winter months. According to the WI DNR, the general guideline for safe ice on a frozen body of
water is to not go out on ice that is less than 4-inches thick of new, clear ice, always wear a life jacket or
float coat when on the ice, and never go alone. Please see below the recommended guidelines.
Ice Thickness guidelines for various activities:
.Walking; 4 inches of clear ice
.Snowmobile or small ATV; 5-7 inches of clear ice
.Side-by-side ATV: 7-8 inches of clear ice
Small car or SUV; 9-10 inches of clear ice


On January 20th, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday will mark the 30th anniversary as a National Day of
Service. This is a time that we celebrate, commemorate and honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. who was an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his
campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.
He is well known for his “I Have A Dream” speech, and became the youngest man to be awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize. Take a moment to pause, and remember this remarkable man.


Dates to Remember:
January 13 City Council Meeting 7 P.M.
January 20th Martin Luther King Jr. Day


As I close on my first Mayor’s Corner column for 2025, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a
joyous, peaceful, and prosperous New Year!

Mayor Rowie Hansberger

Mayors Corner – JuneDownload
Mayor’s Corner – JulyDownload
Mayor’s Corner – AugustDownload
Mayors-Corner-SeptemberDownload
Mayors-Corner-OctoberDownload
Mayor-Corner-NovemberDownload
Mayor-Corner-DecemberDownload

Lake Levels

Posted on by City Admin

Lake Levels as of:

  • 5/4/22 – 1220.05
  • 5/17/22 – 1220.04
  • 5/23/22 – 1220.03
  • 6/3/22 – 1219.95
  • 6/20/22 – 1219.76
  • 6/27/22 – 1219.70
  • 7/5/22 – 1219.56
  • 7/11/22 – 1219.48
  • 7/18/22 – 1219.46
  • 7/25/22 – 1219.26
  • 8/1/22 – 1219.29
  • 8/16/22 – 1219.26
  • 8/22/22 – 1219.23
  • 8/29/22 – 1219.29
  • 9/6/22 – 1219.16
  • 9/12/22 – 1219.05
  • 9/19/22 – 1218.98
  • 9/27/22 – 1218.85
  • 10/31/22 – 1218.88
  • 5/1/23 – 1220.19
  • 5/8/23 – 1220.29
  • 5/15/2023 – 1220.20
  • 5/22/23 – 1220.16
  • 6/5/23 – 1219.92
  • 6/12/23 – 1219.73
  • 6/27/23 – 1219.51
  • 7/10/23 – 1219.28
  • 7/17/23 – 1219.15
  • 7/24/23 – 1219.14
  • 7/31/23 – 1219.11
  • 8/7/23 – 1219.01
  • 8/15/23 – 1218.96
  • 8/28/23 – 1218.82
  • 9/11/23 – 1218.59
  • 10/2/23 – 1218.83
  • 3/18/24 – 1218.40
  • 4/1/24 – 1218.42
  • 4/9/24 – 1218.57
  • 4/15/24 – 1218.54
  • 4/22/24 – 1218.63
  • 4/29/24 – 1218.72
  • 5/6/24 – 1218.76
  • 5/13/24 – 1218.78
  • 5/20/24 – 1218.80
  • 5/29/24 – 1218.88
  • 6/3/24 – 1219.07
  • 6/10/24 – 1219.13
  • 6/19/24 – 1219.22
  • 7/1/24 – 1219.22
  • 7/8/24 – 1219.19
  • 7/15/24 – 1219.22
  • 7/22/24 – 1219.05
  • 8/5/24 – 1218.99
  • 8/12/24 – 1218.96
  • 8/19/24 – 1218.83
  • 8/28/24 – 1218.95
  • 9/9/24 – 1218.64
  • 9/17/24 – 1218.57
  • 9/23/24 – 1218.84
  • 10/7/24 – 1218.21
  • 10/14/24 – 1218.15
  • 10/21/24 – 1218.07

A map of the lake levels back to 1984 can be found under Find Your Fun – The Lake – Lake Levels