On the Gordon St Croix Flowage, can I circumnavigate Bubar Island?

This post is in honor of this cabin I recently listed on the north shore of the St Croix Flowage, also known as the Gordon Flowage. At 1,913 acres, and with 29 miles of meandering shoreline, the Gordon Flowage is one of the largest, least developed lakes anywhere in northwestern Wisconsin. The Flowage is located near near Gordon, Wascott, and Solon Springs, and it’s just west of U.S. Highway 53.

Along the southern shore of the Flowage, detailed maps show an area called Bubar Island. It’s directly south of the boat landing that’s on the north shore. In my last post I answered the question: “On the Gordon Flowage, can I actually go all the way around Wilcox Island?” The short answer: “Maybe, sometimes. Bring a canoe or kayak, preferably a narrow one.” But in case you’re wondering the same thing about Bubar Island, the short and simple answer is… No.

Bubar Island is only an island in the sense that it’s separated from the mainland by a large wetland area. Even if you’re paddling a very narrow canoe or kayak that only draws two inches of water, the answer is still no. Sorry.

But here’s the good news, and it’s something you can see for yourself if you look closely at the aerial up above. You can see a few houses along County Road Y, and that’s about it. The segment of the Gordon-Saint Croix Flowage you see here is fairly typical. Much of the lake’s shoreline is county land that’s been granted special protective status. For that reason, and because of terrain like that surrounding Bubar “Island,” very little of this lake’s shoreline has been developed—or ever will be.