Eagle Island, located in

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

, is part of the

Apostle Islands The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County, Wisconsin, Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Isl ...

, and is located within the

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands ( Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior. It is known for its collection of histori ...

. Situated due north of the mainland sea caves and southwest of

Sand Island A sand island is an island that is mostly made of sand. The largest sand island in the world is K'gari, Australia. Other examples of large sand islands are Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie Islands which lie south of K'gari (Fraser Island ...

, it is the second smallest and westernmost of the Apostle Islands, covering approximately . Like Gull Island, Eagle Island serves as a bird rookery and

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

, providing important nesting habitat for species such as

double-crested cormorant The double-crested cormorant (''Nannopterum auritum'') is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska ...

s and

herring gull Herring gull is a common name for several birds in the genus ''Larus'', all formerly treated as a single species. Three species are still combined in some taxonomies: * American herring gull (''Larus smithsonianus'') - North America * European h ...

s. Notably, it is the only island in the archipelago that serves as a nesting area for

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as far northwestern South America, the Caribbea ...

s. The island is closed to public access to protect its fragile ecosystem. Researchers from the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network conduct annual studies on the bird populations inhabiting the island. In recognition of its ecological significance, Eagle Island, along with Gull Island, was designated a State Natural Area in 1992 and is part of the

Notes

Apostle Islands Landforms of Bayfield County, Wisconsin Protected areas of Bayfield County, Wisconsin Uninhabited islands of Wisconsin {{BayfieldCountyWI-geo-stub