Buying Land in Lincoln County, Wisconsin

Zoning: county-zoned in 11 towns, not in 5 -- and one of those 5 has its own ordinance

Lincoln County's Land Services Department (801 N. Sales Street, Suite 103, Merrill, WI 54452; (715) 539-1087) administers the county's Chapter 17 Zoning Ordinance, but that authority extends only to the towns that have specifically adopted Lincoln County zoning: Bradley, Corning, Harding, King, Merrill, Russell, Schley, Scott, Skanawan, Tomahawk, and Wilson. The county's own zoning map shows the remaining 5 towns -- Birch, Harrison, Pine River, Rock Falls, and Somo -- as not covered by county general zoning.

Of those 5, the Town of Pine River (occupying the county's southeastern corner) has its own separately-adopted zoning ordinance, most recently updated in June 2024, administered by its own town zoning administrator rather than the county. This research pass could not confirm whether Birch, Harrison, Rock Falls, or Somo have adopted their own separate zoning ordinances or have no general zoning at all -- if a parcel sits in one of these towns, contact the town directly (or Lincoln County Land Services, which can point you to the right office) before assuming either county zoning or no zoning applies.

Regardless of which general-zoning authority governs a given town, Lincoln County's own Chapter 21 Shoreland Zoning Ordinance applies countywide within the statewide NR 115 shoreland zone -- 1,000 feet of a lake, pond, or flowage, or 300 feet of a navigable river or stream -- along with floodplain overlay districts (FW, FF, GFP) mapped wherever landscape conditions require them. Because the Wisconsin River runs directly through the county past Merrill, and the county has a substantial number of smaller lakes and flowages, this shoreland layer reaches a meaningful share of the county's land regardless of the town-by-town general zoning picture.

A heavily forested county, with the Wisconsin River and a real recreation economy

Lincoln County is roughly 73% forested, ranking among the more heavily wooded counties in the state, and a meaningful share of that private forestland is likely enrolled in Wisconsin's Managed Forest Law (MFL) program (this research pass did not obtain a county-specific MFL enrollment figure). MFL enrollment offers a substantial property-tax reduction in exchange for following an approved forest-management plan, but it restricts building without a formal withdrawal (which can carry a penalty), and parcels enrolled as "open" carry a public-access obligation for hunting, fishing, and other recreation. If you're buying forested acreage here, ask directly whether it's currently MFL-enrolled and, if so, whether it's open or closed.

The Wisconsin River flows through the county past Merrill, feeding Lake Alexander and running through Council Grounds State Park -- a 508-acre state park (originally a Merrill city park, donated to the state in 1938) offering camping, a beach, an accessible fishing pier, and boat access to both the lake and river. The county's Underdown Recreation Area, about 13 miles northeast of Merrill, adds primitive camping plus horseback riding, mountain biking, a segment of the Ice Age Trail, and over 20 miles of groomed ski trails. The county also carries a real ATV/UTV trail network -- roughly 47-60 miles of summer trail (the Harrison Hills system, connecting into neighboring Langlade and Oneida Counties) and around 250 miles of winter ATV trail -- worth knowing if recreational access is part of why you're looking at land here.

Septic, GIS, records, and other departments to know

Lincoln County's Land Services Department (same office and phone as zoning above) also administers POWTS (septic) sanitary permits, site evaluations, and inspections under the statewide SPS 383 standard, and handles GIS mapping and parcel data (GIS/Land Information Program Manager, (715) 539-1058). The Register of Deeds (801 N. Sales Street, Suite 102, Merrill; (715) 539-1061) holds recorded deeds, easements, and plats, and the County Treasurer (801 N. Sales Street, Suite 204, Merrill; (715) 539-1067) handles property tax payment and assessment support.