Lower Wisconsin Eagle Watch Tour Waypoint

Eagles gather along the Lower Wisconsin River and adjoining agricultural lands in winter. This convocation of eagles is possible because the dam at Prairie du Sac keeps a significant portion of the Wisconsin River from freezing. Of equal importance, traditional communal roosts occur in bluffs located adjacent to the river and provide a safe place where eagles sleep at night. Undeveloped river shoreline allows for undisturbed feeding and agricultural lands provide open space where carrion can be found. All four of these habitat elements combined allow eagles to concentrate along the Lower Wisconsin from Lone Rock to Prairie du Sac during winter.

Within the Lower Wisconsin River, however, eagles often shift their distribution as snow and ice conditions vary. Typically, when ice is abundant on the river or snow is deep in agricultural areas, eagles can be found primarily in the up river stretch from the Prairie du Sac Dam to the river area near Mazomanie. During warmer weather, when little ice is found on the river or snow in agricultural areas, few eagles use the upper stretch of river and concentrate along the river from Mazomanie to Lone Rock. Pay attention to the conditions around you to estimate where you should go to view the most eagles or visit our Facebook page (link here). If the river is full of ice, visit the up river sections. If the river is open, visit the down river sections. At any time, enjoy your viewing of eagles and appreciate just how dynamic eagle distribution can be in winter!