Wisonsin Lakes

devildog1679

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Jul 8, 2009
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Just bought our first boat a few weeks ago. We live in Madison WI, for you fellow cheese heads what other lakes other then the ones in Madison are there? Looking for something no more then a 1 hour drive away.
 

sewerrat

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Jun 29, 2009
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Just got my first boat 3 weeks ago as well.
We've been on Pewaukee, Okauchee, Pine, Ocnomowoc, Lac La Belle, Nagawicka, and Phantom so far. All are within 1 hr of Madison.
 

roadrunnr

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Sep 15, 2007
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

I've been on all the lakes listed on the previous post and I have to say that Oconomowoc is by far my favorite. Least favorite launch and you have to navigate a shallow river/creek from the launch point to get to the lake, but once your there the lake is awesome. Not a lot of traffic probably due to the access but a great lake to tube or ski!
 

mrcool

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Oct 7, 2008
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Just got my first boat 3 weeks ago as well.
We've been on Pewaukee, Okauchee, Pine, Ocnomowoc, Lac La Belle, Nagawicka, and Phantom so far. All are within 1 hr of Madison.

I'm also from the Madison area. So what is your review on these lakes? are they good boating lakes? I hope to boat them all :)
I would suggest Green Lake, a good sized lake, VERY DEEP!! I think over 300 feet in some areas:eek: Norton's is a great place to stop for food and drink.
Also Lake Delton in the Dells is fun, but a small lake, it is fun to watch the "ducks" splash into the lake and listen to the drivers tell of it's history, Plus you can boat right up to the area where the shoreline breached and drained the lake. Dock at the Ravena bay resturant and watch the Tommy Bartlet Water show from the backside for free:D while you have lunch
While you're in the Dells, go to the upper dells on the wisconsin river, great sencery and very fun, just watchout for the big jetboats, they make large wakes and since it' a river it makes the ride a bit rough! But WELL worth it!!
Also try The Rock River down in Newville (Edgerton) dock at the Anchor Inn and/or Finns which is just aross the river, geat food and outside bands all summer long...Tons of fun. The Lake is Very large, bigger than Lake Mondota, but very shallow.
 

FFDave

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Apr 26, 2010
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Lets open this thread back up guys!
There are alot of beautiful lakes in Wisconsin.
Im in the lake country area and know that nagawicka and pewaukee are awesome.

Whats another good lake in wisconsin to go to, with places to eat on the lake, that you can just drive up to and dock with your boat?
Im a fan of that for some reason and we're thinking of going camping and boating to a new lake this summer and im looking for ideas. Hopefully not TOO far away from the lake country area. Hour maybe?

Dave
 
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KnightWolf

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Apr 9, 2010
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Lake wisconsin is just over an hour from you. There are a few places to dock for food. And camping in some areas close.
 

hckplyers

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Jul 26, 2008
Messages
31
Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Castle Rock lake, should keep my mouth shut, but food, fun, gas, camping, lodging must be booked well in advance. But a doable day trip.

Rock Lake at Cambridge, no docking at the launch, but good food.

Longer trip but go to Fremont, stay at the Fremont Hotel for fun, bathroom is down the hall! Great launch, big sandbar on the lake by the park swim beach, a flotilla spot or go up the Wolf River to New London, or go south down the Wolf, but be careful, marinas, food, then when the river hits Lake Poygan you can head into Oshkosh, more food and marinas, mosy through town and empties into Winnebago, make sure the locks are working before you go.

Go a bit further and the Bay of Green Bay is big water, the day we went out there it was like glass most of the day, one in a million day.
 

marlboro180

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Well, Whitewater Lake has camping, no? Only was on it a couple times with little craft.

Lauderdale Lakes Chain- WI- not Florida, southeast of Whitewater. - My favorite, probably because I grew up on it. One of the top ten cleanest chains to boot. Great pan fishing, aint gonna tell you where all the bluegills are though :D
If you want to ski go down to Don Jean Bay at the south end.
Great swimming at the north shore of Green Lake. Green Lake is great for tubing as the waves give you a pounding.:eek: If you so dare, take a dive down into the deep spring at Bubbling Springs. If you come up with a handful of sand and can still breathe, you have made a right of passage.:cool:

Do not know if the restaurant on Middle Lake ( in the chain) has opened back up. It was for sale last year.
 

HANGEYE

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Dec 13, 2009
Messages
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

If you decide to try the Fremont area, be careful if you head up river. stay to the out side of the bends where the water is deeper but watch out for snags:eek:. There are a LOT of bayous that LOOK like the river but hey are not. If in doubt, put your hand in the water, if the water is AT ALL WARMER then the main river DO NOT GO any further:confused:. If you go down river to the lakes, get a lake map because there are a lot of shallow sand bars on Poygan and Butte Des Morts. If you know where to look, there are many places along the way to eat and get refreshments. It is well worth the trip, just be careful and enjoy.;)
 

hckplyers

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Jul 26, 2008
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

FFDave, come on over to Madison area! Mendota is big, deep water, a couple of places on the water to eat and gas up, some quiet coves with sand beaches on the south side. There are launch fees on all the lakes, but the launches are all pretty good.
You can go through the locks on weekends from Mendota, go down the channel to Lake Monona.
Monona has the capital view, a nice sand beach on the east side, no food or gas on the water, but go to the south east side, follow the markers, go into the channel, there you will find food and gas, then continue south on the channel and you will find Gilligans Island, a hang out in the summer of music and fun, just a sandbar, or then continue around the bend and under the train tressle, and you are now on Lake Wabesa, several eating places on the lake, no gas on the lake.
So if you decide to come over this way give a shout and we can tell you where to launch according to where you want to be.
For some reason we end up on Waubesa the most, kids like the lake for doing water activities, the big boats stay on the bigger water so there isn't as much chop.
 

FFDave

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Great ideas everyone!
Ive been looking up all the bodies of water you guys have been sugesting.
Im really liking the green lake idea, it looks beautiful! Just a question about it, you said green lake has big waves - is this the entire lake? Im not gunna lie, waves are only enjoyable for tubing, sometimes.
If green lake is a real choppy lake, i dont know how much i'd enjoy it.

Wisconsin has alot of great lakes to enjoy, thats for sure.

Dave
 

chirkowatson

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May 14, 2010
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

I am looking to go to Wisconsin for the weekend and want to just get away from civilization and enjoy nature, go fishing, ATVing and just sit on a dock at night and see all the stars.
Actually i am looking for a nice place on one of the lakes in central/south wisconsin which should not be too far north at a reasonable price per night for 2 nights.
 

bekosh

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

I am looking to go to Wisconsin for the weekend and want to just get away from civilization and enjoy nature, go fishing, ATVing and just sit on a dock at night and see all the stars.
Actually i am looking for a nice place on one of the lakes in central/south wisconsin which should not be too far north at a reasonable price per night for 2 nights.

Before we got a boat with a cabin, we used to stay at a place on the Wolf River in Fremont, WI. Larry & Jan's Resort. Nice place. Nothing fancy, but clean, cheap and right on the river.

A couple more in that same area that we've seen but never stayed at, Hahn-a-lula or Gala resort on the Wolf River,
Wolf River Resorts or Lang's Landing in Winneconne.
 

marlboro180

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

Great ideas everyone!
Ive been looking up all the bodies of water you guys have been sugesting.
Im really liking the green lake idea, it looks beautiful! Just a question about it, you said green lake has big waves - is this the entire lake? Im not gunna lie, waves are only enjoyable for tubing, sometimes.
If green lake is a real choppy lake, i dont know how much i'd enjoy it.

Wisconsin has alot of great lakes to enjoy, thats for sure.

Dave
I was speaking of this green lake: http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-...88.957341&sspn=0.023135,0.052360&iwloc=A&sa=X

It can get choppy on a windy day, but usually the others will remain pretty quite.
 

FFDave

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

yup, we were thinking of the same lake.

We might rent one of the cabins on the campgrounds out there, looks real nice.

Dave
 

73Trihull

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Oct 31, 2009
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

On a windy day Green Lake will be a little rough but otherwise it's not bad very doable. A 16 footer is fine out there. It's a lot like Lake Geneva.

I'm glad all your favorite lakes are in the southern half, i'll take care of the northern half. So here's my list in no particular order:

Waupaca Chain O' Lakes: Just SE of Waupaca in the center of the state, these lakes are crystal clear. Many lakes are slow no wake which allows for a nice ride to enjoy the views and checking out the houses.There are 4 ski/fast lakes and quite a few sandbars to swim from. My favorite thing to do is find a nice calm area with some deep water and throw the noodles out a float around. Hartman's Creek State Park right down the road and plenty of hotels and lake rentals. Clearwater Harbor is a must and has music on a floating stage on weekends.

Wisconsin River Biron Flowage: Mostly us locals out here but its a 1000+ acres of smooth water and sand bars. nice launch just a few miles west of Plover.

Minocqua Chain Imagine a city surrounded by lakes! The island city is surround by a chain of 5 lakes that has many places to dock and eat. Also a public dock to walk into downtown. On Lake Tomahawk is a State Forest campground with campsite on the water. i'll post some pics in August after I spend a week and a half there. :cool: Someone earlier was looking for a place to go for peace and quite...well North is where to go. There are some campsites on lakes up here where the small mouth out number the people and the water is so clear you can see the bottom in 20ft of water.

Eagle River/Three Lakes Chain This is the major leagues of boating. Two chains of lakes connected by a boat hoist that will literally lift your boat over a dam and place it on the other lakes make up the largest chain in the world. There are more sand bars, more restaurants and more water that you can possibly see in a weekend, heck maybe even a week.:)

Lake Wissota Large lake near Chippewa Falls home of my favorite brew, Leinekugels. State Park on the north shore fore camping. A few places to stop and eat and some nice swimming spots as well.

I know there are more lakes out there for me to explore but these are my summertime favorites up here. Growing up in Kenosha I had fun down there on Lake Geneva, Fox River Chain in Illinois and a few others. Wisconsin has some of the best boating around, were pretty lucky.:D
 

marlboro180

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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

yup, we were thinking of the same lake.

We might rent one of the cabins on the campgrounds out there, looks real nice.

Dave

Have fun and wave at Cherry Island for me!:D
 

jmarty10

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Aug 6, 2007
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

We head up to Lake Delevan a couple of time a year from Northern, IL. Its about 10 minutes from lake Geneva. I think its a great place to take kids tubing and boarding. its about 50 ft deep in middle with really good ramp access (about 4 ramps) and lots of parking. about $10 for a pass. Theres a beach and a marina that serves food. Not a lot of gas however.
 

FFDave

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Apr 26, 2010
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

I heard that the minocqua chain of lakes is AWESOME.
alot of people say its a beautiful place to be in the summer.
May have to take a trip up there to try it out.
I have alot of family in northern and central wisconsin, so i'll visit them and hit the lakes at the same time.


Dave
 

73Trihull

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Oct 31, 2009
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Re: Wisonsin Lakes

A question about the Madison lakes. I was thinking about camping at the State Park on Kegonsa, can you boat all the way up the river to Mendota? It certainly seems like you can. And what do you now about that campground. Thanks!
 
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