Reading the stats on Wisconsin’s bountiful lakes, rivers and streams, it’s hard to believe the whole state isn’t made of water. All that aquatic area – more than 15,000 lakes, 42,000 miles of rivers and, of course, Great Lakes Michigan and Superior – makes the state a prime destination for all kinds of fishing and boating.
And perhaps the most remarkable thing about Wisconsin fishing is the variety of fish found in our ecosystem. The Northwoods is home to prime musky waters, and the state harbors more than 10,000 miles of trout streams. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior possess more than 240 charter boat operations between them. In one year, Wisconsin’s waterways give nearly two million people the chance, to hook one of the 72 million fish caught.
Many of those same waterways double as destinations for boating and other aquatic adventures, with marinas, harbors and public launch ramps to facilitate boats of all kinds. Canoeists and kayakers can get even more access, whether to serene havens like the Apostle Islands sea caves and the Lower Wisconsin River, or to roaring whitewater like the Wolf, Flambeau and Peshtigo rivers.
Visitors without boats of their own aren’t left behind. In addition to convenient raft and boat rentals on most rivers and lakes for the do-it-yourself explorer, Milwaukee’s Edelweiss River Cruise Line and Iroquois Boat Line offer urban cruises, while Mississippi River tours can be found in La Crosse. And, of course, there’s the amphibious Ducks of the Wisconsin Dells, WWII-era vehicles that have been repurposed for land-and-water adventure.
