The Aquatic Plant Explorer (APEx) displays aquatic plant data from lakes, reservoirs and flowages across Wisconsin. View statewide distributions of aquatic plant species and individual lake maps that display plant abundance, the number of species, and the distribution of each aquatic plant species.

A field guide of Wisconsin's aquatic plants, complete with color images and similar species. A fact sheet on non-native starry stonewort species identification. A 2023 factsheet on non-native Phragmites identification, life history, distribution & spread in Wisconsin, impacts, management, and prevention techniques.

Aquatic plant identification is a critical component to understand your plant community and the appropriate way to initiate management. We’ve compiled a list of the most common Wisconsin aquatic plant species with brief descriptions and treatment options.

A diverse native aquatic plant community is the foundation for healthy, balanced lakes. They provide many benefits including food, shelter and nurseries for fish, wildlife and insects. and without floating leaves.

Learn to identify some of Wisconsin’s most common macroscopic algae, including filamentous green algae. Learn how to recognize blue-green algal bloom-forming groups as well. Learn or review the Wisconsin standardized aquatic macrophyte point-intercept sampling protocol.