Minocqua • Arbor Vitae • Woodruff • Hazelhurst
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Minocqua Canoeing & Kayaking

Being the home of 2,300 bodies of freshwater and the North Highland-American Legion State Forest, the Minocqua area is a is a heaven for paddlers. The NH-AL is the largest state forest in Wisconsin with 225,00 acres, 18 family campgrounds, 130 canoe and remote campsites, and 68 lakes designated as “Wilderness”, “Wild” or “Scenic”.

Paddling

Lakes

Little Bass Lake

Little Bass Lake, located in Woodruff, is 44 acres. Popular for smallmouth bass and trout fishing.

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Trilby Lake

Trilby Lake, nestled in Arbor Vitae, offers paddlers a serene and peaceful experience across its 97...

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Hemlock Lake

Hemlock Lake, located in Woodruff, is a charming 38-acre lake perfect for paddlers seeking a...

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Bolger Lake

Bolger Lake,in Minocqua, is 115 acres with a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake offers public access...

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Prong Lake

Prong Lake, the southernmost lake of the Bittersweet Lakes State Natural Area, requires a 300-yard...

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Paddling

Routes

Day Trips

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RENTALS & GEAR

Chequamegon Adventure Company

Retailer of bicycles, fat tire bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, accessories, silent sports gear, clothing, and more! Rentals, sales and service available. Let us help you play! Read More

Coontail

Coontail, located in both Arbor Vitae and Boulder Junction is the area's top kayak, SUP and bike dealer. See website for rates on bike, watersport and wintersport rentals. Read More

WILDERNESS LAKES

The Wilderness Lake shorelines are primarily forested, the forest composition varying with the site characteristics and the area’s management history. Each lake has an undeveloped shoreline, with no structures, except primitive campsites, within 1⁄4 mile. The lake and its shoreline within 1⁄4 mile, or to the visual horizon if it is further, are passively managed. Public motor vehicle use for lake access and all recreational uses are not allowed. 
Wilderness Lakes

Brush Lake – 33 acres Lake Alva  - 23 acres
Clear Lake  - 62 acres Toy Lake – 70 acres
Kelly Lake  - 32 acres Woodson Lake – 27 acres

WILD LAKES

Thirty-three lakes are designated as Wild Lakes.  On Wild Lakes, human influence on the lake or its surrounding lands is not conspicuous. The shore-lands are primarily forested, the composition varying with the site characteristics and the area’s management history. The lakes and their shorelines, within 400 feet or to the visual horizon from the lake if that is further, are natural appearing without signs of management. There is only non-motorized use of these lakes.

Wild Lakes

Benedict Lake  - 26 acres

Norway Pine Lake – 30 acres
Bittersweet Lake – 103 acres Oberlin Lake – 42 acres
Bug Lake – 19 acres Prong Lake – 31 acres
Devine Lake – 95 acres Salsich Lake – 48 acres
Du Page Lake – 32 acres Smith Lake – 41 acres
East Ellerson Lake  - 136 acres Swanson Lake – 21 acres
Frog Lake – 42 acres Unnamed lake east of Lumen Lake – 7 acres
Hawk Lake – 10 acres Unnamed lake east of Bittersweet Lake – 5 acres
Helen Lake – 12 acres Unnamed lake south of Rainbow Flowage – 13 acres
Inpot Lake – 14 acres Unnamed lake north of Big Lake – 10 acres
Island Lake – 17 acres Unnamed lake west of Round Lake – 15 acres

Johnson Lake – 24 acres

Unnamed lake southeast of White Sand Lake – 20 acres
Little Cloud Lake – 10 acres 3 small unnamed lakes around East Ellerson Lake – 19, 10, 8 acres
Max Lake – 24 acres 3 small unnamed lakes west of Swanson Lake – 9, 5 4 acres
Mud Lake – 56 acres  

SCENIC LAKES

Due to a statewide policy change that tightened the criteria for allowable uses on designated wilderness and wild lakes, several NH-AL lakes that were designated under the 1982 plan no longer qualify for designation without changing their long-established pattern of use. Under the revised forest plan they will be assigned a classification that fits their current conditions; thus, allowing all of the present uses and similar management objectives to continue.

Sixteen of these lakes fall within Native Community Management Areas that will have limited or no forest management in order to protect the natural scenic values of the lakeshore.

To continue the high level of shoreline protection, the shoreline of the remaining 29 lakes will be classified as scenic lake zones. A 400-foot scenic management zone, similar to the wild lake management zone, will surround each lake. 

Scenic Lakes

Blueberry Lake Little Rock Lake
Deadman Lake Lone Tree Lake
Dorothy Dunn Lake Maple Lake
Eloise Lake McNaughton Lake
Emerald Lake Otto Meilke Lake
Fallison Lake Partridge Lake
Firefly Lake Shannon Lake
Frank Lake Trilby Lake
Fox Lake Turtle Lake
Hemlock Lake Wildwood Lake
Jean Lake Zottle Lake
Little Bass Lake 4 Un-named lakes north of White Sand lake Un-named (aka Long Lake) 
Little John Jr. Lake